Former World No.1 Andy Roddick believes reigning Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz makes more mistakes than prime Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic due to his aggressive style of play.
Alcaraz overcame Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s French Open final, rallying from two sets to one down to win his maiden Roland Garros title. The Spaniard produced a stellar display in the final two sets, overwhelming his German opponent with his flashy, unique style of tennis.
In the latest episode of his Served with Andy Roddick Podcast, the retired American discussed Alcaraz’s ability to go for big shots, comparing it to Federer’s style of play early in his career. However, Roddick acknowledged Alcaraz’s tendency to make more unforced errors than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic due to poor execution.
“[Carlos] Alcaraz is like this insane thing to watch because he has all the shots and he can do everything, but he always takes his shot,” analyzed Roddick. “With Roger [Federer], you always felt like you were playing on his terms, especially later in his career when he had lost maybe half a step, it was on his terms.
“Alcaraz still makes way more errors than prime Federer, [Rafael] Nadal, and [Novak] Djokovic, way more unforced errors. But most of the errors are on his terms. He’s trying to do something. He might miss a forehand wildly, but you’re going, ‘That was probably the right shot. He just missed it.”