Roddick on Alcaraz's comeback: "I was worried about his forehand, but.."
The former world number 1 was pleasantly surprised by the level displayed by the Spaniard at the US Open after his wrist injury.
After 4 and a half months away from the circuit due to a wrist injury, Carlos Alcaraz has returned at the US Open 2026 as if he had never left. The Spanish tennis player played at an incredibly high level to comfortably defeat Roman Safiullin in his debut, something that pleasantly surprised Andy Roddick, who had serious doubts before the match due to such a long inactivity.
In fact, it was expected that Alcaraz would return with much less rhythm and more errors, but players touched with a magic wand like him (there are very few) are capable of doing such things. His forehand was flying, his backhand was very solid, and at the net he returned with the same inspiration he has always had. That’s why Roddick could do nothing but praise the Murcian fighter on his podcast 'Served'.
"I can’t imagine a better match than the one Carlos played in the first round. I was concerned about the speed of his forehand, but this time it was better than last year. He closed the sets well, his movements were impeccable. The game is there, and any mistakes he is making will only improve with more matches,” concluded the former world number 1, emphasizing that Alcaraz's forehand, which some thought had changed, was just as effective as always.
Roddick analyzes Alcaraz's nerves
Another point Alcaraz mentioned after the match was those obvious nerves of returning to play after such a long break in a Grand Slam like the US Open where he defends his title and the pressure is maximum. Moreover, he faced a tough opponent who had already eliminated players like Andrey Rublev at Wimbledon. However, Carlos showed great maturity and solidity, something unexpected even for Roddick himself.
"We don’t know how he’ll be or if his wrist will hurt tomorrow, but as far as his tennis performance is concerned, he exceeded expectations. I thought he would be fine, but I believed he would have to earn his place. He said he was nervous, but he didn't seem nervous. He seemed completely normal," he concluded.
Now Alcaraz will face Jaime Faria for a place in the third round, but if he continues at this level, there is no doubt that he will not only be the favorite to win against the Portuguese, but also to reclaim the title in a very special Grand Slam for him. This is where he won his first major, where he became world number 1 for the first time, and where he can make history again with a magnificent return.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Roddick, sobre la vuelta de Alcaraz: "Me preocupaba su derecha, pero..."