“Novak Djokovic didn't have his body figured out when he was 20 either, we shouldn't criticize Carlos Alcaraz too much” - Andy Roddick

Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick recently suggested that Carlos Alcaraz shouldn't be criticized for the physical issues he faces on occasion. Roddick further pointed out that Novak Djokovic did not have everything figured out when he was Alcaraz's age.

Alcaraz's physical prowess has been widely talked about since he broke onto the scene, with many drawing comparisons with his older compatriot Rafael Nadal in that aspect. However, it hasn't all been smooth sailing for the 20-year-old.

At the French Open, Alcaraz was up against Djokovic in the semifinals but he suffered nerve-induced cramps, which led to his defeat. He bounced back in style though, defeating the Serb in the Wimbledon Championships final not long after.

The top two players on the ATP tour met again on Sunday, in the final of the Cincinnati Open. In a match that lasted three hours and 49 minutes, Djokovic emerged victorious, defeating Alcaraz with a 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-6(4) scoreline.

Speaking on Tennis Channel, Roddick praised Djokovic for going strong despite being 36 years old. He then defended Alcaraz from any possible criticism about his physical condition.

“Let's give some fair context. Novak didn't have his body completely figured out when he was 20 years old either, right? Like the book [on how to play these matches] used to be let's extend rallies. What I used to try to do when I was playing Novak would now be a suicide mission against Novak,” he said.

“So we do need to give Carlos the appropriate amount of time to figure out his body. I changed midway through, diet can make a huge difference, but it's trial and error, right?” Roddick added.

Alcaraz took the long route to the Cincinnati final, with all his matches being three-setters. He came from a set down twice, against Max Purcell in the quarterfinals and Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals.

Roddick reminded everyone that the two-time Grand Slam champion had been on the court for a long time in the tournament but still gave Djokovic a run for his money in the final.

“There's two things. We shouldn't criticize Carlos too much. It was extremely physical, he played a long three-setter yesterday, the day before that, the day before that, the day before that. And now that's on the side now,” he stated.

Roddick further gave examples of how Alcaraz had already come through several marathon matches in his nascent career, and was only getter with each passing contest.

“Listen, Carlos is already an hour and a half better than he is normally in extreme conditions when he gets to cramps. [Jannik] Sinner was like 2:20 [2022 US Open quarterfinals], [Cameron] Norrie last year was 2:20 at this exact tournament [quarterfinals]. The French Open, it was about the 2:20 mark. Now we're talking about the 3:50 mark, same problem but it's getting better. That's progress,” Roddick said.

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“One of the toughest matches I've ever played in my life” - Novak Djokovic on Cincinnati final against Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz in action at the 2023 Cincinnati Open.

Novak Djokovic heaped praise on Carlos Alcaraz in his post-match interview, calling him one of the strongest opponents of his career. He also labeled the 2023 Cincinnati Open final one of the toughest of his illustrious career.

“Crazy. Honestly, I don't know what else I can say. Tough to describe. Definitely one of the toughest matches I've ever played in my life, regardless what tournament, what category, what level, what player. It's unbelievable,” he said in his on-court interview.

“From the beginning 'til the end we've both been through so much, so many ups and downs, highs and lows, incredible points, poor games, heat strokes, coming back. Just overall, one of the toughest and most exciting matches I was ever part of,” he added.

Despite his defeat in the Western & Southern Open final, Alcaraz remains the World No. 1 heading into the US Open.