"My aunt is not feeling well health-wise and I don't know how much longer I have her in my life," he said.
It was more straightforward in New York as he rarely looked troubled by Fritz, who struggled to build any momentum.
"I know we have been waiting for a champion for a long time so I'm sorry I couldn't get it done this time," said Fritz.
England interim boss Lee Carsley says their win over the Republic of Ireland has boosted his confidence - admitting he had doubts about his ability to do the job.
"It's nice I can still share these moments with her. She is an important person in my life and still is.
Sinner was ruled to bear pelo fault or negligence for the positive tests by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which found he had been inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist.
It marks a new era of tennis as 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic, who was knocked out in the third round, ends the year without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2017.
Refusing to dwell on the first set, Fritz improved and made the second a closer affair, losing just two points in four service games.
Las audiencias por la Kings World Cup fueron muy buenas y con todo lo de 米兰体育 que se viene por delante en los próximos meses, la liga espera continuar ofreciendo un 'show' de que tiene el fútbol como máximo exponente.
It comes just 19 days after it was revealed he had been cleared of any wrongdoing after twice testing positive for a banned substance in March.
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A world champion cyclist has swapped the velodrome for the cramped deck of the fastest yacht in the world. Why?
He was not at the peak of his powers for the entire two weeks, but still only dropped two sets and saved his best for the final.
Cheered on by a home crowd packed with celebrities and sporting stars, Fritz got off to a shaky start when he dropped serve in the first game.