Andy Roddick has once again emerged with his customary run-down of the US Open, midway through the event.
An enthralling tournament thus far, with thrills, spills, upsets and outstanding tennis, it still remains very much up for grabs on both the women’s and the men’s side.
Especially with the latter, who the 42-year-old seemingly still cannot call.
His job was made much harder when one very special pairing was dumped out of the competition in back-to-back days…
Andy Roddick reveals Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz theory
Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, released midway through the competition, the former world number one sought to comb over the plethora of action that has been on display in Flushing Meadows.
Naturally, on the men’s side in particular, there has been a refreshing openness to the competition, with this unpredictable nature exhibited by the two big early exits.
Carlos Alcaraz was stunned by the unseeded Botic van de Zandschulp, whilst Novak Djokovic was dumped out by the Cincinnati Open champion Alexei Popyrin.
Looking at those exits, Andy Roddick reviewed: ‘We have been talking the last couple of weeks about the Olympic hangover and I feel that head was pounding during the first week of this event.
‘The people who really grinded through Wimbledon into the Olympics, Novak and Carlos, at some point something has got to give. They have been playing intense play-off-level tennis for four months straight. I know most people go to their job, do their job, but something has got to give at some point.’
Roddick’s Novak Djokovic prediction for the US Open has thus been proven wrong…
The men’s US Open draw has been blown wide open
Through their shared absence, the two outstanding favourites to win this year’s US Open have blown the competition wide open.
Now, it really could be anyone’s title, with Jannik Sinner having emerged as the obvious new frontrunner.
He will have to be at his very best to beat either Alexander Zverev or an in-form Taylor Fritz though, who is the first American man to reach the Round of 16 at all four majors in a single season since Andre Agassi in 2003.
Meanwhile, there is American firepower elsewhere with Frances Tiafoe, whilst Jack Draper and Alex De Minaur will do battle in the coming days to see whether power or unrelenting work rate comes out on top.
Each player left in the draw has their own unique and supremely impressive skillset which, on any given day, could all cause each other problems.
It is this dynamic which has likely made it such an enthralling men’s competition, even without Djokovic or Alcaraz.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
