Andy Roddick detailed what he felt made Carlos Alcaraz a different type of opponent for Jannik Sinner than the rest of the ATP Tour. The World No. 1 has lost to the Spaniard four times in a row, including the 2025 Italian Open final on Sunday.
Sinner returned from a three-month doping ban to participate in his home Masters 1000 event in Rome. He was in scintillating form in the early stages, and the highlight was a 6-0, 6-1 drubbing of Madrid Open champion Casper Ruud. He also dismantled Tommy Paul after going down a set against the American in the semifinal.
However, Sinner could not defeat Alcaraz in the final. The Spaniard registered a 7-6(5), 6-1 win to earn his fourth consecutive win over Sinner.
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Speaking on his podcast, Served with Andy Roddick, Roddick mentioned that Sinner knew how Ruud played and defeated him with ease. In the semifinal, after losing the first set, the Italian figured out Paul's tactic and went past him with ease. However, it was a different story with Alcaraz.
"If he [Jannik Sinner] knows what's coming, he's not gonna miss a pitch. He's like Barry Bonds. Barry Bonds will sit on a pitch and then rip your head off. Against Carlos, I don't even know if Carlos knows what's coming all the time, but he has the ability to hit every shot to every spot, with every type of spin or without spin. And that really — you don't see Sinner looking unbalanced against anyone else in the world," Roddick said.
Roddick explained that Alcaraz brought his full shot-making arsenal when facing Sinner. Against most players, the Spaniard could afford to be more straightforward, but against Sinner, he used every weapon in his game, which made the World No. 1, who usually looks composed, appear uncertain and off-balance.
Andy Roddick pointed out that Jannik Sinner's "return position" against Carlos Alcaraz needs to improve
While speaking on Tennis Channel, Andy Roddick also pointed out a key area where Jannik Sinner needed to improve to shift the balance in his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz: his return position.
According to Roddick, Sinner's usually reliable return, especially off second serves, wasn’t as sharp during their Italian Open final.
"I think the biggest thing today was return position and as effective as he is, sticking that return, especially on second serves, that was missing a little bit today," Roddick said.
Roddick noted that while the Italian did take some aggressive risks by aiming toward the sidelines, the payoff wasn’t consistent enough to trouble Alcaraz.
Up next, Carlos Alcaraz is set to defend his French Open title, with Jannik Sinner a major contender to spoil the party. The main draw at Roland Garros begins on Sunday, May 25.
