‘You Cannot Win a Major Unless You Move Your A** Off’- Andy Roddick Pays Poignant Ode to Alexander Zverev as He Discloses Stark Changes in Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz etched his name in the books of glory. The 23-year-old kept the Spanish tradition alive with his dominant performance on the clay court major. While his victory meant a lot to his career and to the countrymen, there also came a harsh realization about the current tennis scene and the tussles required to get one’s hands on a Grand Slam trophy.

In a recent episode of Served by Andy Roddick, the former tennis star weighed in on the challenges of winning Grand Slam titles. He highlighted the importance of exceptional movement on the court, targeting it to explain the reason behind Alexander Zverev‘s loss. Following the whole intense match, Roddick shared his thoughts on what it takes to win at the highest level.

“What I’m watching – simply, if you can’t move at an elite level in tennis anymore, you can’t win a slam. You don’t have average movers like me winning slams. You look at Medvedev, the guy’s 6’6 and moves his a*s off,” Roddick remarked, as an attempt to explain the tough levels required to secure a grand slam title in today’s scene.

“Zverev full slides into backhands, getting neutral off of Alcaraz’ forehand is absurd. Alcaraz, he is the outlier; you have to be 6’4 unless you’re the most electric body that tennis has ever seen. The way that he takes off, the explosiveness, you cannot win a major unless you move your ass off. Federer moves, Rafa moves, Novak moves, and you can no longer be kind of all offensive,” he added, explaining how even the ones who secured notable number of titles had to follow the basic approach.

Roddick’s comments came after a heated final where the 23-year-old Alcaraz defeated Zverev in five sets to claim his first French Open title. Despite an on-point start, Zverev struggled to maintain his momentum against the younger, more agile Alcaraz. The match, which took place at Court Philippe Chatrier, saw Alcaraz secure a massive 6-2, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 win.

This victory made the Spaniard the youngest male player to win his first three Grand Slam finals, not to mention on three different surfaces, scripting history. Meanwhile, Zverev’s defeat highlighted the critical role of movement and agility in today’s competitive scene. Adding more weight to what Roddick suggested, Alexander Zverev also affirmed that Alcaraz’s game was appreciable.

Alexander Zverev bows down to Carlos Alcaraz’s dominance

The defeat against Carlos Alcaraz made Alexander Zverev accept the true levels of strength presented by the Spaniard. Soon after he faced a defeat at Roland Garros, the German couldn’t think of anything but to appreciate his rival for an absolutely thrilling performance that dragged the showdown to 5 sets.

“Look, he played fantastic. He played better than me the fourth and fifth set. It’s how it is,” he said, proudly giving the credit to Alcaraz’s dominant form. He continued with his statement and explained that he did all he could to secure this title but failed. Comparing it to the last grand slam final he played, the German added, “I felt like this Grand Slam final I did everything I could. At the US Open I kind of gave it away myself. It’s a bit different.”

Alexander Zverev might have walked out of the court with disappointment on his face. As he revealed his inner thoughts after the match, it clearly revealed that he is taking home a valuable learning to use in the opportunities ahead.