Wimbledon is rapidly approaching, with many players currently preparing for the Grand Slam at various tournaments.
Queen’s and the Halle Open are now underway on the ATP Tour, while the WTA Tour has headed to Berlin and Nottingham.
And they all build towards Wimbledon, which represents the third Grand Slam of the season after the Australian Open and the French Open.
The calendar has switched from hard courts to clay courts and now grass courts, with former ATP number one Andy Roddick now sharing his verdict on the surface that takes centre stage for Wimbledon.
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Andy Roddick suggests what people get wrong about grass courts
Speaking on his Served podcast, the three-time Wimbledon finalist said: “The biggest thing that gets overlooked, the lazy narrative is ‘big serve, going to go far on grass’.
“If you can’t return… Point out how many guys that can’t return that win Wimbledon. Not since like the 70s, that’s not a real thing anymore.
“You look at Lleyton Hewitt, he was a nightmare on grass, didn’t serve huge, but did he hold 10% more because grass was helping him? Did he break less?
“Maybe a little, but that offset of percentages was beneficial to him. You can keep the ball down, depth is more rewarded on grass than any other surface. Movement matters.
“You can see great movers on every other surface that do that, like edge of the shoe, stop, open stance…
“A lot of times at Wimbledon, your best play is running through the shot by half a step or a full step. Contact and the impact on the ball matters more on grass than any other surface.
“If you can chip and take time away, if you can cut the corner, and play an approach shot on the move and take it in, all of that stuff matters.
“Ball flight matters, this top-spinny, get out of trouble with height, [Maja] Chwalinska-style from Roland Garros, that s— doesn’t translate on grass. There are so many nuances.”
Why tennis fans should already be excited for Wimbledon
Wimbledon doesn’t get underway until later this month, but there is already plenty of excitement concerning the event.
Taking centre stage in that regard is the Wimbledon wildcard for Serena Williams, who amazingly will play doubles with her sister Venus Williams.
Former finalist Nick Kyrgios has also received a doubles wildcard with Alexander Bublik, with that duo certain to put on a show regardless of how far they make it.
That said, there is a huge blow on the ATP Tour, with Carlos Alcaraz missing Wimbledon because of a wrist injury.
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However, fans can rely on world number one Jannik Sinner being very motivated to bounce back strongly from his struggles at the French Open.
The same can be said of WTA number one Aryna Sabalenka, while there are also questions to be asked of the likes of Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.
Moreover, legendary figure Novak Djokovic will also be playing at the tournament as he continues his search for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title.
It is indeed the biggest grass-court test, with the history and tradition of Wimbledon certain to inspire those involved and indeed those watching the action.
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