Roddick Reacts to ALCARAZ vs DJOKOVIC | Australian Open Men’s Final 2026

AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into. It's why it's no surprise that more than 85% of the Fortune 500 use the Service Now AI platform. While other platforms duct

platform. While other platforms duct tape tools together, Service Now seamlessly unifies people, data, workflows, and AI, connecting every corner of your business. And with AI

agents working together autonomously, anyone in any department can focus on the work that matters most. Learn how

Service Now puts AI to work for people at servicenow.com.

at servicenow.com.

>> [music] >> Hey everyone, welcome to Quickserve brought to you by Service Now. Thank you

for going through these two weeks with us. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you

us. Thank you for subscribing. Thank you

for watching us. It's been uh it's been it's been pretty great. And uh Carlos Alcarez leading the day. Um, lots of story lines and we'll get to the

historical context and the the Novak of things, but uh, simply has just walked into the conversation with the best of all time. There's only so many people on

all time. There's only so many people on Earth that can walk around and say to any Grand Slim venue and be like, "Oh, I won here, too." [laughter] Um, the

youngest to have ever done it by a couple of years, uh, edging out Rafa.

And then after Rafa jumps, too. It's not

as if there's like Rafa and then there's like three people close like within a year.

>> Mhm.

>> He leaprogged most the field. Um never

made it past the quarters of Australian Open before and said, "Oh, well, let's just uh let's skip a couple steps and just get straight to the winning." Um

but just uh it it's it's crazy to think and I I was actually talking with Brooke about it just now before we we came in and you know she she she likes tennis.

She obviously it's like my life but it's not her orbit. I don't know that she knows the details of all the matchups.

And that's good perspective sometimes because she goes we just chat about it and you know giving her the little rundown and she goes how lucky is tennis

that after the big three big four you have this guy whose game you can't take your eyes off of who looks like he's having the best time ever all the time.

>> Yeah. Like how do you like how do you even script the fact that you have this kid who's whose body is electric who can hit all the shots and then she's

like Novak is like you know clawing and scrapping and fighting and around and you kind of get this intergenerational

thing where they're chasing Novak and uh you know it's it's just there was going to be an interest vacuum in the absence of talents like Alcarez,

center, and center's fantastic.

Alcarz with the what he does and it jumps off of like it's like it's like the most mainstream offering that you could have hoped for.

>> Mhm.

>> And >> yeah, he's uh >> and it just he just delivers.

>> He's like he has like DJs sitting in his his box with him, you know, and he's he's just cool.

>> He has a connection to you. He

>> 22 years, 272 days. That's how old he is. And that makes him the youngest to

is. And that makes him the youngest to re the career grand slam, but also makes him the youngest to reach seven career grand slams, edging out uh Bejornborg by

five months. And he becomes the first

five months. And he becomes the first man in the open era to win each slam in his first finals appearance, joining the only other person on the planet to do

it, which is one Serena Williams. And so I I I think he just all of those achievements are so easy for any sports fan to understand, right? You don't need to be a tennis insider to understand

that greatness and doing it before 23 years old is is insane.

>> Yeah. You you don't need to have a PhD in tennis history to understand I won all of the things before Rafa Roger Novak Borg

and the other person who won all the things before it was Serena Williams. like that. That's We don't need to get I

like that. That's We don't need to get I know we pride ourselves on details, but I could sell that to my cat. [laughter]

>> Um, >> Coach Cat, Coach, >> Coach Cat, Coach Cat, Coach Rube. Um,

the the balls and strikes of of of this match, I I don't know that they were surprising. I don't know that we had to

surprising. I don't know that we had to have a a crystal ball to know what Novak had to do. Um, it's kind of what we

said. He came out, he was going massive.

said. He came out, he was going massive.

Like he was not leaving anything in the tank. I think he knew that that cat and

tank. I think he knew that that cat and mouse with Carlos where if we're taking pace off of deflating, it's just hard cuz when you give Carlos

more time, you're also giving him uh more options, right? As I can see, look at, you know, it's fun is to see my father-in-law right there [laughter] in

the shot in the frame. But if if Novak doesn't go and just try to push uh through Carlos, then he has time.

Then he brings in drop shots, then he brings in the mix of pace, which Carlos did off the return. Uh

he had to serve in volley. He had to disrupt. He had to try to pin Carlos in

disrupt. He had to try to pin Carlos in that forehand corner to get to the backhand corner uh more often. So, I I think tactically I think Novak did what

he wanted to, but it's strange because now we're in that shift where one person in this matchup has to up the risk and

it's exactly what Novak and Robert and Roger did to the rest of us normies for all of those years. And it's like, okay, can you can do it for a set, but can you

do it for four sets? The greats always make you up your brisk profile. Now, at

38 years old, are the options more narrow in a match for for Novak?

Absolutely.

In order to win one of these matches against the centers in the Alcarz, you need to win the clutch points more often, right? Again, against center was

often, right? Again, against center was two of 18 on on break points. That

manifests in a 6-4 and the fifth win for Novak. just a master class in getting

Novak. just a master class in getting through fighting, clawing, situational tennis, uh timing uh his advances, timing when he stays into points. The

difference between two out of 18 and break points for center and five out of 16, like a conversion rate that's like halfed >> uh against Alcarez. That's the

difference between 6-4 in the fifth victory and 75 in the fourth loss is converting those break points. That

maybe the single most >> once we get past first serve percentage that tells the story most of the time, but like at the highest levels of the highest matches, if someone's converting

break points at like even close to a 40% clip, they're most likely going to win.

Especially in men's tennis where, you know, someone can just get out of it with a big serve. Uh but I mean you look at Sabalinka and Rabbaka it was kind of the same the same deal like they're both

holding pretty regularly. Um, but credit to Carlos cuz like step one of Novak trying to pull off I say this upset just

because on this specific day cuz I can see all you guys going he's 24 how dare you call it an upset right now on this specific day that would have

been an upset and that's okay to say right Carlo I think Carlos was the favorite going into this match but on this day he had to come out and win that

first set and kind of get get inside of of Carlos a little bit. Credit to

Carlos, right? Three, four years ago, does he steady? Two years ago at the Aussie Open, like once Novak started gaining on him, you could see a little bit of he was [snorts] he was uncomfortable

steadying the ship. Listen, I know you've done it 24 times, but at least up until this match, I've done it six times in a pretty pretty short amount of time. like he's getting to

that point where he he is going to get settled. He hasn't really seen much

settled. He hasn't really seen much uh before and you know he knew that he had more maybe more options more different pathways to to victory where I think the

the pathway was a little bit narrower for Novak strategically. Now, if you want to have some fun, go to the AO app,

the highlights package at five all or sorry, 56. Uh when Carlos was uh was

sorry, 56. Uh when Carlos was uh was trying to win the tournament, Novak serve. Novak punch punch punch

Novak serve. Novak punch punch punch punch punch. Carlos literally went into

punch punch. Carlos literally went into lockdown mode against the lockdown king.

>> [clears throat] >> He I mean there they'll only everyone's going to skip to the forehand miss that or the backhand miss crosscourt that it hit like the top of the tape and it looks like a bad shot and he missed it by like [sighs]

like the top of a bottle like this much.

[laughter] He fought off like four or five hay makers, hit a chip forehand line that had a little I mean it's just just went locked down and they're like oh well

Novvec then missed two forehands. No, I

mean, sure. When you're literally emptying everything you have into every forehand for four sets, guess what happens?

Buler, anyone? Anyone? You miss a couple eventually?

A strategy at scale becomes harder. A

strategy in a smaller sample size, you're more likely to be able to pull it off.

Carlos has now entered that conversation where you have to do something extraordinary for a very long uh time, right? It's tough to get on top of him.

right? It's tough to get on top of him.

And the other the other point that needs to be made before I run through like how ridiculous his slam count is now is lot of lot of conversations um and probably

rightfully so at the time is hard his worst surface [sighs] [gasps] is hard I don't know the answer I think he's just kind of good on everything but

like I mean the way he won the US Open against center and then you know the way he played this final against Novak.

I I don't know. It's a fun conversation.

I would be I would love to get >> He has three He has three slams on hard.

>> I know, but I don't know if it's his best surface. I don't know if I [snorts]

best surface. I don't know if I [snorts] think it's probably Clay if against the I don't know.

>> But that's like a ridiculous conversation, right? There's three and

conversation, right? There's three and I'm like, I don't know. I don't know what's first, you know? I don't know what's last. It's like a Ricky Bobby

what's last. It's like a Ricky Bobby quote.

>> It's like whatever. Yeah. Whatever he

prefers that day.

>> I don't know. Or maybe

>> what he doesn't prefer the most would be his worst that day.

>> Or maybe if it's just maybe if it's, you know, I'm feeling good, it's a big uh oh for the rest of the field. I don't care what's under my feet.

Um it's just it's just ridiculous. And

so I have this conversation often where it historical context matters. And I

think we did a a good job off the top and you had some some really good stats there, Mike. Like I think of when I'm

there, Mike. Like I think of when I'm growing up and absolutely like I went to London a couple years ago and had to do a charity hit and I'm on one of the

courts at Queens Club, right? Doing a

little little hit and giggle and then who walks out on the court next to me and I I like froze. I was so I couldn't even breathe and it was it was Stefon

Edber. All right. And I say that because

Edber. All right. And I say that because I'm a player. I played in slams. I played like I know a lot of people and this is tennis thing. He has that impact

on me however many years later.

He had six grand slams. Becker six grand slams. You know he's staring down the barrel of

Johnny Mack has seven.

Like one of the all-time voices, one of the most famous people in tennis history. He's now equal at 22 years old

history. He's now equal at 22 years old with Johnny Mack. Someone that never gets talked about enough in my in my opinion is Matt [clears throat] Vlander

who he's now tied at seven.

Like these are monsters and he's he's he's caught them at 22 years old and now goes into the French Open having won it the last two years. last year for

one of the greatest matches in history.

and he's looking at Jimmy Connors who played till he was 40, Andre Agassi,

Lendel, like these are these are I in if there are any people who listen to our show who are like I'm new to tennis, go watch these old clips from from from

these monsters. I mean, Lindle made some

these monsters. I mean, Lindle made some Looney Tune seven US Open finals in a row or something. Andre won the career grand slam and it was like he was the

first to do it since, you know, 1969 and Rod Lever. I'd never wanted it to be

Rod Lever. I'd never wanted it to be really casual what the accomplishments are of these people, even if it seems like we're spoiled for choice because, oh well, the the other three just did

it, so I mean, whoopdedoo. I never want to get [clears throat] to that place.

like the people that are absolute monsters in my my mind that I can't shake from childhood. He's just casually walked into the conversation by 22 years old.

>> Yeah.

>> Like it's it's it's absurd.

>> I know. And I'm looking forward to our recap show for you to kind of have this conversation with with JW who's obviously a massive student of the game and is you know just to hear that side

of it because I think you know a lot of stuff could overshadow Carlos's achievement. a just expectation, right?

achievement. a just expectation, right?

At this point, we're spoiled for the fact that you just you expect it at this point, right? Like he's he's three and 0

point, right? Like he's he's three and 0 against against Novak in finals, slams finals, right? He's beaten Novak for

finals, right? He's beaten Novak for three of those seven.

>> Yeah, it's a joke. I mean, at Wimbledon, I mean, it's like and then like you look across the the aisle there and it's Venus and it's Hennon and it's like these are the names that he is now at

the base level. like his his his floor is this conversation now. His floor is past Edward Becker, Mackenro, Vlander

and like I'm neighbors and my elevator's going up possibly to meet and pass Connor's Agassi Lindle Celis is is

within sight like it's just it's it's it's just Looney Tunes, you know? I remember being on

know? I remember being on this show before before Carlos won his first one at the US Open what, three, four years, four years ago now. Three or

four years ago. And I was getting annoyed because everyone was walking up to me and going, "Hey, is this new kid, is he going to win 10 slams?"

And as someone who knows that it's really hard to win one, it's really hard to win two. I can only assume it's really hard to win [ __ ] seven or 10.

I'm going guys like let's let's be patient. This is ridiculous. Like you

patient. This is ridiculous. Like you

can't just ask that question and have it like dismiss all of the names that I that I just mentioned.

And guess who was right with that question and guess who was wrong with their response? [laughter]

their response? [laughter] [gasps] [clears throat] You know, it's it's just I feel like I'm in in in awe of what he's able to bring on the tennis court and and and the

improvements he's made and the serve and the the back he used to miss sometimes.

It was like looked a little overextended, you know. And oh, by the way, like I still there's there's two things I want to get across with this and then and then we'll we'll close

before we get to the because we'll save some for the recap with JW. But there's

a couple things.

Anyone who is like, "See, he doesn't need JCF." Okay. One, wildly impressive

need JCF." Okay. One, wildly impressive with all this upheaval that he's able to go in there and win a slam. Crazy. Good

job team.

Also, forever the product of Carlos will be tied to the development work that JCF and Carlos did

forever. And he's like, "This slam was

forever. And he's like, "This slam was without JCF." No slam will be without

without JCF." No slam will be without JCF for the remainder of his career.

Right? That's like saying, "We did a renovation and you you still are thankful for the foundation of your house not cracking, right? Just cuz you can't see it doesn't

right? Just cuz you can't see it doesn't mean it's not one of the most important pieces of the puzzle.

So, yes, unbelievable effort. Like

talent wins. Credit to his team for calming the storm. Lot of question marks. Had he struggled early, we would

marks. Had he struggled early, we would have all been wondering and and rightfully so. Like that's a natural

rightfully so. Like that's a natural conversation to have. I think this was a massive win just to kind of get that close that door, close that

chapter. I mean, they split on like

chapter. I mean, they split on like December 17th and here we are February 1st and he's quieted that narrative.

Crazy. And props this JCF like the the the machine that you helped create whatever the next steps are and however it goes from here. Uh you cannot forget

the work and the time and the process and the practice and the development and those teaching moments. You cannot for forget those uh just offhand like don't write an article and be like he doesn't

need JCF. Like that's that's that's

need JCF. Like that's that's that's stupid. It's disrespectful. It does

stupid. It's disrespectful. It does

nothing to understand the process.

nothing nothing that happens with Carlos is an accident. Um, you know, and maybe he's

accident. Um, you know, and maybe he's at the point in his career where it's like, I don't need someone to remind me to go to practice. I certainly didn't at 24 25 and I did when I was 18,

>> right? But like this march through

>> right? But like this march through history is pretty fun. And the other thing is like don't don't separate sinner is in this conversation. Don't be

like don't let's not be victims of the moment. They're gonna have this thing

moment. They're gonna have this thing forever. And if someone wins 15 and

forever. And if someone wins 15 and someone wins eight, don't disassociate the two.

Carlos is phenomenal. He's leading. If

he wins 15, which is bananas to even say and center wins eight, like we're going to pay our respects. This isn't this isn't one v the other. This is one with the other. That they're they're leading

the other. That they're they're leading this generation of tennis on the men's side. Um, they're going to be es and

side. Um, they're going to be es and flows uh to to to this thing, but uh center's not done winning slams. Carlos is far from done uh winning slams. Um

it's just it's just fun to watch progress in real time. And credit credit to Novak, man.

I don't know. I don't know how he like I don't know how you get through the first week defaults ball

kids and then you beat center like guy understands tennis not be in a rush to close the door.

I'm in a rush to see him play it. You

know, French Open I think is difficult at this point. Like you need your body more and you need to be able to play defense but like I don't know. The only

thing I'm going to rush is to see him try at Wimbledon again.

>> Yeah, he he did he did have a really good post-match um speech. Made a joke about seeing Carlos for the next 10 years and then he was like, "No, just kidding." Um you know, and it was about

kidding." Um you know, and it was about a five-minute speech, but he he had a bite kind of towards the end thanking the Australian fans. Um you know, I wanted to have you take a quick listen

to it before we wrap >> and God knows God knows what happens tomorrow, let alone in a in six months

or 12 months. So,

>> it has been a great ride. I love you guys. [cheering]

guys. [cheering] >> Class, [snorts] yeah, [sighs] I don't think you you sit there and say that because you know. I think you sit

there and say that cuz you don't, right? Like I don't know. He might he

right? Like I don't know. He might he might say I have every intention and he has he's like he mentioned he likes to throw out like LA in 28 in the Olympics.

Like he he likes kind of throwing out those timelines but you you don't know like is he a major injury away? Yeah.

Like do you come back from an injury at 38 39 and we we certainly please hope that doesn't happen. But he's also a realist. like he knows that I'm Novak. I

realist. like he knows that I'm Novak. I

can maybe pull off a miracle. I I have that. It lives inside of me, right?

that. It lives inside of me, right?

These little miracles live inside of me.

That's what happened against against Center. And also

Center. And also the timeline's always shortened and the margins are getting narrower for like that pathway after the US Open last year. He's like, I don't know if I can

year. He's like, I don't know if I can go through center and Alcarez back to back in five sets. He probably still doesn't know that just cuz you beat one.

It's like, you know, the depressing part is you take out one and then you got the other one.

>> They've stopped. They've collectively

stopped him in nine slams >> either >> in the semis, quarters or finals.

>> Yeah, it's absurd. Um,

you just don't know. So, let's just appreciate it for what it is on a on a tournament by tournament basis. I mean,

that that match against center is going to be one of my favorite matches that he's played. You know, this this kind of

he's played. You know, this this kind of you don't want to say underdog because that's disrespectful, but like this moment in time is going to be really appreciated. like making the semis of

appreciated. like making the semis of every [ __ ] slam at this age. Like no

hiccups, no exceptions. And I know he got don't but he got a default. I stop

like stop. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're not. This guy's made a whole lot of luck in his career by virtue of being really really good.

Also, do you think he would have been happy at the beginning of his career if you would have said, you know, you got a little unlucky? You lost your first Aussie

unlucky? You lost your first Aussie [snorts] Open final on your 11th try in the final, [laughter] 10-0 before today. Um, and you just

happen to lose to the youngest kid who ever pulled off the career grand slam. I

mean, it's just when you say these things out loud, it's just it's just bonkers. Especially like I realize how

bonkers. Especially like I realize how hard it was to do anything in this game and then to have this level of excellence with Carlos with Novak.

Listen, Novak, Roger, Rafa, they set the example to where, you know, Carlos doesn't think impossible exists now and it's because of them. Um, we'll see with the recap show. We're going to come in a

little bit later. I think JW went to sleep finally um after this final. He's

going to wake up in six or seven hours before he gets on the flight. But here

we are. Um, thank you for watching Quickserve with us over the last two weeks. You've been awesome. Thank you

weeks. You've been awesome. Thank you

for subscribing.

Thank you for spending days with us.

Thank you for chatting on our substacks.

Is that Did I get that right, Sean? Are

you proud?

>> Y substack, but very good.

>> Oh, you said stacks. Just a substack.

>> It's just one. It's just one stack.

>> Yeah, you can find the serve newsletter on Substack. got I have a question but

on Substack. got I have a question but it's one substack but I assume other places on substack there are more substacks so then there's substacks

>> this that I'm going to have to look into that >> this is what you came for the hardcore analysis thank you for being uh a part of this serve community and sharing with

us uh this has been brought to you by service now what a fun what a fun slam appreciate you AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built on. With the Service Now AI

platform, your AI, data, and workflows all work together, connecting [music] every corner of your business. To see

how you can put AI to work for people, visit service.com/ai-agents.

visit service.com/ai-agents.

[music] >> [applause] [cheering]