Andy Roddick has grown into one of tennis’ leading voices for commentary on the sport, and thus today’s Wimbledon final is a huge point of interest for him and his many listeners.
As someone who reached three finals in SW19, thwarted by a certain Roger Federer on every occasion, he is in a great place to preview such a clash.
And with Novak Djokovic once again facing Carlos Alcaraz, much of his homework was done around this time last year, when they faced at this stage in this venue.
However, Andy Roddick has noticed one new alteration that the latter has made which could make all the difference today.
Andy Roddick has noticed a change in Carlos Alcaraz
Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, previewing today’s men’s Wimbledon final, the former world number one actually couldn’t help but notice a change that Alcaraz has made this year to one facet of his game.
As someone who competed at the elite level for some time, it takes a keen eye to notice these changes, and Roddick has sought to praise the effort, but also fears for the outcome that it might bring in this high-pressure clash.
In fact, should the alteration pay off, the 41-year-old has predicted it will actually win the Spaniard the match.
He noted: ‘Alcaraz has to make first serves. Jon rightfully pointed out the ebbs and flows of his first serve. His service motion looks different this year, he’s rounded out at the bottom a little bit to create a bit of consistency. It used to be kind of like a jackknife, straight up and down.
‘What it’s allowed him to do is get a little more action wide, he’s getting a little bit of that tail on it, but I think the service percentage has come down because he is learning a new thing. I’m curious to see how it presents tomorrow.
‘If Carlos’ first serve percentage is above 60% I think he wins this match. I think at 61-62% he’s getting enough freebies against Novak and Novak… listen, he used to struggle with consistency on his serve. The way that he has brought his serve around into a spot server where he hits the corners, 121, 122, open up the court, I run the second serve and sometimes 97 on the body, then I hit the bunny kick at 88 miles an hour.
‘These are all things that are tactical and he is a master of keeping his opponents off balance now on the serve.’
The tale of Novak Djokovic vs Carlos Alcaraz
Having already lauded, as Roddick claimed Alcaraz has a shot that is the best in the history of tennis, it is clear that the American is seeking to outline the stunning credentials of both of these competitors.
However, he doesn’t really have to.
This time last year we were treated to one of the greatest Wimbledon finals in recent history between these two superstars, in which the 21-year-old triumphed across a five-set epic on a sun-bathed centre court.
This marked their fourth meeting, as Djokovic would get one over on him just a month later in Cincinnati, the longest best-of-three final in ATP Tour history since 1990 and widely regarded as the best in Masters 1000 history.
Their head-to-head record stands at 3-2 in favour of the Serbian, who also beat Alcaraz at Roland Garros in 2023.
Their first meeting, in the semi-finals of the Madrid Masters in 2022, went the Spaniard’s way.
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