Carlos Alcaraz’s French Open victory has earned him a special compliment from Andy Roddick! In the ever-evolving landscape of tennis, domination of the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic) and the Williams sisters (Serena and Venus), has captivated fans for decades. As these tennis stars have approached their retirements, the question of who is going to take the spotlight next looms large. But according to the former U.S. Open champion, Roddick, fans don’t need to worry about that anymore!
Andy Roddick, known for his candid remarks, discussed the French Open final in the latest episode (June 11) of his podcast, Served. After discussing the match between Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, Roddick, along with Kim Clijsters and Jon Wertheim, moved to the topic of Carlos Alcaraz’s first French Open victory. Sharing his opinion, the American former tennis pro, Roddick, said, “Carlos winning a slam, third year in a row. Third, different slam and being a good citizen. Along the way, I admitted basically, I was pessimistic about where tennis was going to lay post big three Serena, Venus at the top of her game, and I couldn’t be happier to be wrong about it. I think this game is in great hands.”
As Roddick pointed out, the Big Three’s two-decade dominance on-court is massive. Collectively bagging a total of 66 major singles tournaments, they have held their top spot for a total of 947 weeks in total. However, the Williams sisters are also not far behind in this respect. Both of them have together bagged 30 Grand Slams and have broken barriers in tennis while being at the top of the sport. Along with that, both have earned four gold medals together, 3 together in doubles, and 1 each in singles at the Olympics for America. But now all of them have retired with Djokovic continuing his prowess on-court and Nadal soon approaching his retirement.
However, Roddick’s skepticism at tennis getting lulled after their retirements has been replaced by awe. While talking about Carlos Alcaraz’s on-court skills during his French Open final match, Roddick further explained, “Post Roger post Rafa so on and so forth, post Venus that can fill this stadium with the brand of tennis, and with the star power, and I honestly feared and would have bet significant money, that there was going to be a little bit of a lull in the interest of tennis in the product that was being put out there.”
Further adding, he said, “I thought it was gonna take more years to kind of have to build and market superstars. And was I ever completely wrong. I mean, this kid steps in, he’s my favorite player to watch, he can hit every shot, and it’s like, he’s this mix of kind of perfect because he can hit every shot and play a certain way and move a certain way.”
The World No. 2, who has won three major titles (U.S. Open, Wimbledon, and the French Open), is making waves in the tennis world. At just 21 years old, he has 14 ATP titles to his name. After battling with his arm injury for months, the youngest teenager to win the U.S. Open has once again shown his dominance on-court. Naturally, it has erased Roddick’s skepticism about the former World No. 1’s potential to rule the tennis world. Not only him, for Alcaraz too, his French Open win is a “special” one!
Carlos Alcaraz reflects on his “incredible” achievement at Roland Garros
By defeating Alexander Zverev in almost 4 and a half hour battle, Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has earned his first Grand Slam on clay court. Adding more to this achievement, he has also made history by becoming the youngest ATP player to achieve a Grand Slam on three surfaces. Therefore, the Wimbledon Champion was over the moon after his victory. “This tournament, I’ve watched it since I was five, six years old. Being in this position right now is so, so special.”
He also said, “It has been incredible work. I am really grateful to have the team that I have and the people I have around. I know that everyone in my team is giving their heart just to make me improve as a player and a person.” With Alcaraz and his contemporaries stepping into the spotlight, one thing is clear. As Roddick pointed out, the future of tennis is indeed secure!
