Andy Roddick questions Carlos Alcaraz's honesty about self-doubt after heartbreaking Indian Wells loss

Andy Roddick questioned Carlos Alcaraz's honesty as the Spaniard admitted to having self-doubts before taking to the court against Jack Draper at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. Alcaraz lost the topsy-turvy match and conceded his opportunity to win a three-peat of Indian Wells titles.

Following Draper's 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 victory over Alcaraz in the semifinal, the Spaniard claimed he was drowned in thoughts about how good Draper was before the match. In his post-match press conference, Alcaraz revealed:

"Since the beginning of the day, since the morning, I was thinking about his game, because he's really tough, he's really solid, and it's going to be a really physical match."

He also admitted that he did not practice or warm up well before the match. Such an admission about nerves is rare but human. However, in the latest episode of his podcast, Roddick questioned if this was the correct choice.

"But also, I have another question—if you're in Alcaraz's camp, how honest is too honest? Like, he has this cloak of, like, people are ready, you know, he's won four Slams, he's 21. Do you want people to know that you kind of have this, maybe sometimes, mental insecurity?" Andy Roddick said. [32:00 onwards]

The former American player questioned if Alcaraz being too honest about his self-doubt could impact how opponents perceive him.

"I appreciate it as someone who's consuming the game as a fan because I think it makes it relatable. I think he's more endearing for having shared it. But if you're in his camp, are you going, "Don't tell people that, they think you're invincible"?

Before beginning this conversation with Kim Clijsters on his podcast, Roddick opened up about feeling nervous before every match he played. He said:

"I felt like I was borderline vomit before pretty much every match." [30:08]

However, this is not something he ever revealed publicly during his time as a player.

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Andy Roddick praised Carlos Alcaraz’s Laver Cup resurgence in 2024, saw echoes of the Big 3 in young Spaniard

Carlos Alcaraz at the BNP Paribas Open - Source: Getty

During an episode of his podcast, Andy Roddick reflected on Carlos Alcaraz’s crucial comeback after he was ousted early at the 2024 US Open. He highlighted how the young Spaniard, who underwent a demanding summer winning the Paris Olympics silver medal and two Grand Slam titles, reasserted his dominance at the Laver Cup.

"It was kind of like, you know, it's the thing that we saw with the big three and now they're discussing Carlos in that, that same light and he kind of proved them right. And was like, hey, there's a little speed bump at the US Open but, you know," Andy Roddick said.

After his Indian Wells heartbreak, Carlos Alcaraz moves on to the second phase of the "Sunshine Double." He will be the second seed at the Miami Open and will face the winner of Davis Goffin vs. Aleksandar Vukic in the second round.