Indian Wells: Taylor Fritz beat Rafael Nadal in the final

Tennis General

Indian Wells: Taylor Fritz beat Rafael Nadal in the final

Rafael Nadal says he suffered breathing difficulties during his straight sets loss to Taylor Fritz in the Indian Wells final.

"It's hard for me to breathe. When I try to breathe it hurts and it's very uncomfortable," Nadal said.


"When I'm breathing, when I'm moving it's like a needle here all the time. I feel a little dizzy because it hurts. It's the kind of pain that limits me a lot. It's not just about the pain, I don't feel great because it affects my breathing."

"I can't even begin to describe how ridiculous it is to play, how could I play today, I've never felt more pain than I did before the match," said 24-year-old Fritz.

"I took a few steps and screamed. I was trying to train hard and we worked a lot till the match.

"I was really upset, basically almost crying because I felt like I had to pass out.

"I went through a rollercoaster of emotions and suddenly got really happy thinking maybe I could play, but it didn't affect me at all.