Tennis News Today: Andy Roddick reveals what he initially thought of Rafael Nadal; Novak Djokovic's poor form draws reaction from former pro, and more

Andy Roddick revealed his initial thoughts on Rafael Nadal. Meanwhile, Stefanos Tstitsipas opened up about his renewed success while addressing rumours about Carlos Alcaraz's racquet.

The former American pro gave his thoughts on Novak Djokovic's recent poor run of form. Additionally, Rafael Nadal weighed in on his rivalry with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

On that note, here is today's top tennis news:

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Andy Roddick reveals his early thoughts on Rafael Nadal

Andy Roddick admitted that he underestimated Rafael Nadal during the early stages of his career. The American star looked back at their Davis Cup Final match that changed his perception about the Spanish star.

Roddick claimed that he thought he could bully Nadal around initially after their US Open clash. However, his perception changed after Nadal defeated him at the Davis Cup.

"I remember after the US Open, I said this kid is really good. He doesn't serve big enough yet. There are some things I could bully him around the court. We play at Davis Cup, they throw you in, and at that point, it was the largest crowd ever, and it all happened very quickly, and when I'm telling you, you didn't blink. Head down, and you made me win every point five and six times. I walked off the court that time, and I went, 'Oh, okay. He will be great,'" Roddick said.

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Stefanos Tstisipas addresses the racquet mystery at the Indian Wells

Stefanos Tsitsipas opened up about his recent upturn in form and the racquet mystery at the Indian Wells. There have been some rumours circulating that the Greek star has been using Carlos Alcaraz's equipment.

When asked about his good run of form, Tsitsipas said he is playing with more 'freedom' this year. The Greek also addressed the rumours about him using Alcaraz's racquet by saying he has changed his string pattern but denied revealing all the details.

"More freedom. More freedom to not get the sweet spot; just getting the ball on my racquet. A lot is going on with my racquet – things that I also cannot disclose yet but it adds definitely to that freedom that I just spoke about," Tsitsipas said.

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Former American pro gives verdict on Novak Djokovic's current form

Former American pro Steve Johnson gave his thoughts on Novak Djokovic's current run of form. The Serbian has lost three matches in a row, with his latest defeat coming in the second round at the Indian Wells.

Speaking on the 'Nothing Major' podcast, Johnson gave his opinion on Djokovic's form. The former American player said that Djokovic looked out of sorts during his Indian Wells match and also added that Andy Murray's presence in the coaching box did not help the Serbian.

"I think a lot of us would've called it a career by now if we had this many titles and all the records and whatnot. But it just looks like he's just flat and the vibes playing with Murray in the box didn't get him where he needed to be this week at Indian Wells, which it did in Australia," Johnson said.

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Rafael Nadal opens up on his rivalry with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic

Rafael Nadal shared his thoughts on his rivalry with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard looked back at the time when both his rivals pushed him to his limits.

Recently, Nadal appeared on a podcast with Andy Roddick, where he spoke about his history with his two great rivals. The former World No. 1 claimed that his rivalry with Federer was more exciting for the fans compared to his rivalry with Djokovic.

"Well I think having completely different approach to the matches. I think with Roger [Federer] the match, I think that's in my opinion that’s why the rivalry with Roger was a little bit more, I mean attractive for the fans than Novak [Djokovic] against me. Even if I played more times against Novak."- he said.