Andy Roddick floats Roger Federer and Serena Williams US Open comeback dream
Former world No 1 Andy Roddick has dreamed up a scenario that sees both Serena Williams and Roger Federer making a return to the US Open.
There has been a contrasting reaction to the USTA decision to move the mixed doubles event in the final Grand Slam of this year to the week before the main draw in singles.
Their aim is to entice the game’s top players to take part in the new-look format, with big prize money on offer in a move that ensures the US Open is now very much a three-week event.
‘Fan Week’ has preceded the action at Flushing Meadows in recent years, with top players taking part in exhibition matches as they warm up for major action.
Now they will have a chance to play some competitive tennis ahead of the US Open, with Roddick suggesting the move will be a big success.
“This is a big move,” he said on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast. “As evidenced by taking back Sunday that precedent has been set. This is going to work.
“Now people are going to be p***** and there will be people who don’t benefit from this. But I know this will work.
“It will be our version of some sort of All Star weekend but with significance and a consequence of winning or losing.
“It’s a big idea, it’s a great idea and what does this do to doubles as a whole? Because when this works, we are in a copycat world with the Slams, everyone starts on Sunday.
“Precedent is for the people who lead that and then you guys do it [change to Sunday start] and it is normalised. What happens to doubles as a whole even outside of the scope of Grand Slam tennis when this works?”
He went on to suggest some surprise entrants may be tempted to make a comeback in mixed doubles, with retired tennis legends Rafael Nadal, Federer and Williams in his fantasy line-up.
“I will tell you this, I want to put this out into the universe right now. There are some recently retired players… I don’t know about a little Roger and Serena action,” he added.
“I don’t know what Rafa is doing right now. I am just saying, let’s throw a bomb of enthusiasm into this thing! This is just me wishing I don’t know.”
Specialist doubles players will not be happy that one of their revenue streams will be restricted by the USTA’s decision to shake up their mixed doubles tournament.
And if it proves to be successful, the Australian Open and French Open might follow the lead and change their mixed format.
Last year’s US Open mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori were among those hitting out at the decision, as they suggested it will hit lower-ranked players.
“Making decisions just following the logic of profit is profoundly wrong in some situations,” said Errani and Vavassori in a joint statement.
“In the last few weeks, we received the news that the US Open mixed doubles tournament will be completely turned upside down, cancelled and replaced with a pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show.
“We see it as a profound injustice that disrespects an entire category of players. We don’t know at the moment if we’ll have the chance to defend our title but we hope this remains an isolated case.”
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Meanwhile, American No 1 Taylor Fritz has hinted he is ready to embrace the new mixed doubles event, which will come with a $ 1 million prize money purse.
“I think there’s a very good chance that I’ll play in the mixed doubles competition,” said Fritz.
“Honestly, it falls at a good time. I think that it’s going to be really exciting. I think a lot of people are going to be excited about it, and I genuinely love playing mixed doubles, so I think there’s a good chance I’ll play it.
“I think a lot of doubles players will be upset about it, but at the end of the day, the truth of the matter is that mixed doubles, as it was, isn’t adding that much to the Slams. It’s not creating a lot of excitement. They’re not filling up stadiums.”
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