Taylor Fritz goes from hope to a dream in beating Rafael Nadal in Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal standing behind him and a captivated audience intently listening to his every word, Taylor Fritz finished his speech on the court at Indian Wells, his voice breaking as he looked toward his family and team in the stands.

“Winning this tournament is one of those crazy childhood dreams that you really think is never going to happen,” he said as the crowd roared and the tears began to fall down his face. “Thank you.”

Long considered one of the best hopes among the American men to contend for big titles, Fritz had won just once on the ATP Tour prior to Sunday at a 250-level tournament in Eastbourne in 2019. The 24-year-old California native, who had come to the tournament as a fan throughout his childhood, had an impressive run during his time at the BNP Paribas, including a straight-sets victory over Andrey Rublev in the semifinals, but few thought he could defeat Nadal, who was riding a 20-match win streak and had won his past three tournaments played, in the final.

And when Fritz had to abruptly end his practice on Sunday morning, wincing in pain, due to an ankle injury, many wondered if he would be able to play at all. His coaches even told him to withdraw ahead of the match to prevent further injury.

But Fritz has always been a fighter. After leaving the court in his second-round match at the 2021 French Open in a wheelchair due to a torn meniscus, he underwent surgery and still returned in time for Wimbledon less than a month later.

And against the far more seasoned and decorated Nadal, Fritz showed no signs of pain, nor of nerves, as soon as the match began. Fritz jumped out to a commanding 4-0 lead and didn’t lose a single point on serve in those opening games. It was Nadal who needed medical treatment after the first set, with what he later described as difficulty breathing and chest pain. While the second set was significantly more competitive, Fritz held on and battled for every point, ultimately winning in the tiebreak.

After winning the…