Former world No 1 pays Carlos Alcaraz the ultimate tribute after US Open win
It takes a special performance to earn comparisons with the great Roger Federer and that is especially true when the former player giving out that praise is Andy Roddick.
Carlos Alcaraz stormed to victory in the US Open, with the set he dropped against his big rival Jannik Sinner in the final the only set he surrendered in the entire tournament.
The power, accuracy and brilliance of Alcaraz was too much for all his rivals and Roddick has suggested his dominance was comparable to that of Swiss maestro Federer.
Roddick often admits Federer was the player who confirmed to him that there were levels in tennis he would never reach, so his comments about Alcaraz were especially
“I saw a fearless Carlos with every ball, his way of hitting the slice now is something different, a bit like Federer,” said Roddick on the latest Served podcast.
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“I think he was watching the (Grigor) Dimitrov versus Sinner match at Wimbledon, what the Bulgarian did before having to retire when he was leading by two sets to zero, or at least I think that match had an impact on his tactics, as he used that shot several times.
“Obviously, it is clear that his serve has considerably improved when compared to the past. His first serve is becoming more powerful and effective, which is not fun for the rest of his opponents.”
Roddick went on to suggest tennis should be grateful for the Alcaraz vs Sinner battle, as he believes the sport needed this new rivalry as the era of Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic came to an end.
“The reality is that this new rivalry is a true gift for us and for the world of tennis in general,” he added.
“We cannot forget Jannik’s situation, he went through a hellish season with all those extra-sport issues (positivge doping test), he had to suffer a lot during those months, so we must not question at any moment the class he constantly shows when he loses.
“I can only have words of respect for these two boys, we are fortunate to see how they have immediately filled the void left by the ‘Big 3’ and Serena Williams. Again, they are a gift for tennis.”
Alcaraz and Sinner are now expected to transport their rivalry to the Asian swing of the ATP Tour before a potential end-of-season showdown in front of a partisan Italian crowd at the ATP Finals in November.
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