Andy Roddick hits out at the tennis schedule again after Shanghai withdrawals, ‘it’s getting worse’

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The Shanghai Masters event has been hit with mass withdrawals.

World number one Carlos Alcaraz has skipped the Shanghai Masters, instead choosing to recover from an ankle injury he picked up in Tokyo.

Several other big names withdrew, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, Grigor Dimitrov, Joao Fonseca, and Arthur Fils.

Competing in the sweltering Shanghai conditions, Jannik Sinner retired during his third-round match, as the event lost another major star.

Reacting to the latest developments at the Shanghai Masters, tennis legend Andy Roddick has weighed in with his thoughts.

Andy Roddick says the tennis schedule ‘sucks’ as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz withdraw

During the latest episode of ‘Served with Andy Roddick’ the American commented on the busy tennis schedule.

“[Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz were paying the bill for the scheduling. It’s impossible to be physically and mentally perfect week in and week out,” said Roddick.

“Those guys can generally win when they are not. Something has got to give. This schedule continues to suck, it has sucked. It is only getting worse.

“Who pays the bill? The fans a lot of the time. The players do for sure. But you have to have a trade off.”

Roddick then took the time to respond to fans who criticized Alcaraz and Sinner for withdrawing.

“Some people are mad that Alcaraz is not playing and Sinner withdrew. It’s not on them,” he said.

“You can’t do it all the time from January 1st through to the end of November for years in a row.

“You just can’t do it. It’s too much of an ask. Something has got to give and it’s given this week in Shanghai, no Alcaraz or Sinner.”

With Sinner and Alcaraz both out of the competition, their ATP rivals have a golden opportunity to pick up a Masters 1000 title and make a big jump up the rankings…

Who can take advantage of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Shanghai withdrawals?

12 players remain alive in the Shanghai Masters draw, all of whom will be hoping to lift the trophy on Sunday evening.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic is undoubtedly the favorite to pick up the title, having enjoyed plenty of Masters 1000 success throughout his career.

No player in tennis history has won more Masters 1000 titles than the 38-year-old and he would surely love to add a record-extending 41st trophy to his collection at the 2025 Shanghai Masters.

Most successful players at Masters 1000s

• 1. Novak Djokovic – 40
• 2. Rafael Nadal – 36
• 3. Roger Federer – 28
• 4. Andre Agassi – 17
• 5. Andy Murray – 14
• 6. Pete Sampras – 11
• T-7. Carlos Alcaraz – 8
• T-7. Thomas Muster – 8
• T-9. Alexander Zverev – 7
• T-9. Michael Chang – 7

He won’t have it easy though, as Djokovic must battle past several younger opponents in the brutal conditions.

Zizou Bergs and Holger Rune/Valentin Vacherot stand between Djokovic and a place in the final.

Only time will tell if Djokovic can win the title in Shanghai, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.

Djokovic will return to play Bergs in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, October 8.