"We can't just not respect anyone because they're not Federer, Nadal, Djokovic or Serena Williams" - Andy Roddick on Carlos Alcaraz's performance dip
Andy Roddick has dismissed the alarmist discourse surrounding Carlos Alcaraz's recent dip in form, asserting that it's unjust to judge him harshly simply because he hasn't reached the same heights as tennis legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams.
Alcaraz's shock defeat to Nicolas Jarry in the semifinals of the Argentina Open not only put an end to his title defense but also extended his title drought to nine tournaments since his triumph at the Wimbledon Championships last year. The Spaniard's slump has become a prevalent topic of discussion in the tennis community, with concerns raised about his ability to bounce back.
However, Andy Roddick and tennis journalist Jon Wertheim shut down such concerns on the latest episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast. Wertheim emphasized that Carlos Alcaraz had already achieved a career worthy of the Hall of Fame, having won two Grand Slam titles before the age of 21.
He also pointed out that Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic were outliers for their dominance, suggesting that Alcaraz's career trajectory was much more reasonable and common.
"Even with the swoon, the guy [Carlos Alcaraz] is still going to be 21 in a couple of months and he's already got 2 [Grand Slam titles]. I mean the guy could retire tomorrow and he's a Hall of Famer," Wertheim said (at 21:00).
"Yeah, I think we're we're all going to have to recalibrate and realize that the trajectory of Alcaraz is much more reasonable. It's Roger, Rafa, Novak, they're the outliers, not the guy. Not Medvedev, not the guys who win a major, lose in a final. I mean, that's much more, that's that's much more normal than guys winning 3 majors a year. Multiple years," he added.
Roddick echoed Wertheim's sentiments, expressing confidence in the Spaniard's ability to bounce back from his dip in performance. While he acknowledged the World No. 2's struggles this season, the American also argued that Carlos Alcaraz was destined to join the ranks of the top 10 all-time greats, asserting that he shouldn't be disrespected simply because he wasn't Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, or Serena Williams.
"Yeah, I worry about a lot of things in my life. I don't worry about Alcaraz on the heels of a loss in Buenos Aires very often. That's not something that keeps me up at night or that I worry about. He will be just fine. He is a stud," he said (at 21:34).
"Has not played great so far this year. There are some things that I'm sure his team is very concerned about and also they know when you look back 12 years from now, the guy will have had he, he will be one of the names on the short list - top 10 all-time greats and that should be respected. Like we can't just not respect anyone because they're not Roger, Rafa or Novak or Serena," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz set to compete at Rio Open next; Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal gear up for Indian Wells return
Following his disappointing Argentina Open campaign, Carlos Alcaraz will resume the hunt for his first title of the season at the Rio Open. The Spaniard will take on Thiago Monteiro in the opening round of the ATP 500 event.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, on the other hand, will both return to action at the Indian Wells Masters. Having recently pulled out of the Qatar Open after citing a lack of readiness to compete, Nadal has been training hard for his comeback at the Masters 1000 event.
Djokovic, meanwhile, hit the practice court for the first time since his semifinal exit at the Australian Open and began preparing for his return to the tour. The Serb last triumphed at the Indian Wells Masters in 2016 and will pursue his sixth title at the tournament this year.