Stat of the Day: Taylor Fritz beats Rafael Nadal at ATP Finals for first win over a Top 3 player

Taylor Fritz has achieved a number of career milestones this year—Top 20 debut after the Australian Open, first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells, first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon, and Top 10 debut after winning his first ATP 500 title in Tokyo, to name a bunch.

And on Sunday he notched another one: first career win over a Top 3 player, with his 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory over Rafael Nadal in their first round robin match at the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.

Fritz had beaten Nadal before, in the Indian Wells final this year, but the Spaniard was ranked No. 4 at the time—he’s now No. 2.

The American had been 0-11 in his career against players ranked in the Top 3 of the ATP rankings going into the match, but ripped 22 winners to defeat the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

FRITZ CAREER HISTORY VS TOP 3 PLAYERS:
l. to No. 3 Federer in 2016 Stuttgart 2nd Rd, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
l. to No. 3 Zverev in 2018 Wimbledon 2nd Rd, 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (0), 6-1, 6-2
l. to No. 3 Federer in 2019 Australian Open 3rd Rd, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2
l. to No. 1 Djokovic in 2019 Monte Carlo 3rd Rd, 6-3, 6-0
l. to No. 1 Djokovic in 2019 Madrid 2nd Rd, 6-4, 6-2
l. to No. 2 Nadal in 2020 Acapulco F, 6-3, 6-2
l. to No. 1 Djokovic in 2021 Australian Open 3rd Rd, 7-6 (1), 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2
l. to No. 1 Djokovic in 2021 Rome 2nd Rd, 6-3, 7-6 (5)
l. to No. 1 Djokovic in 2021 Paris QFs, 6-4, 6-3
l. to No. 3 Zverev in 2022 ATP Cup RR, 6-4, 6-4
l. to No. 1 Medvedev in 2022 Cincinnati QFs, 7-6 (1), 6-3
d. No. 2 Nadal in 2022 ATP Finals RR, 7-6 (3), 6-1

Before this, Fritz’s biggest career wins by ranking were two wins over No. 4s, both at Indian Wells—Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals last year when it was held in October, and Nadal in the final this year.