Is Alcaraz greater than Roddick?

Is Alcaraz greater than Roddick?

  • Yes: 2 slams to 1, more than double weeks at #1

    Votes: 106 68.8%

  • No: Memphis is a big hole in his resume

    Votes: 10 6.5%

  • Yes: What he's done at 5'5 is an inspiration and shows talent off the chart

    Votes: 15 9.7%

  • No: 2004 Wimbledon final first set Roddick is the best level in tennis history

    Votes: 7 4.5%

  • No

    Votes: 16 10.4%
  • Total voters
    154
Holmes

Holmes

Legend
Now that Carlos is 6 slams to Roddick's 1, can we safely consider him Roddick's equal?

Alcaraz (as of 3/21/25):
Weeks #1: 36
Year End #1s: 1
Slam titles: 4 (USO 2022 d. Ruud, Wimbledon 2023 d. Djokovic, Rolland Garros 2024 d. Zverev, Wimbledon 2024, d. Djokovic)
Titles: 17 (6 Masters)

Roddick (no edits required):
Weeks #1: 13
Year End #1s: 1
Slams: 1 (USO 2003 d. Ferrero)
Titles: 32 (5 Masters)

Edit: Slam count edited 9/7
 
Last edited:
Obviously there’s only one answer to this one.

But Roddick was a pretty fiery young prospect himself, winning USO and YE #1 at age 20 similar to Carlos. And then having a pretty strong sophomore season in 04 with that mythical Wimbledon level.

We’ll see whether Carlos fires Ferrero at the end of 2023 and hires a coach to make his FH a loopy mess and teach him to hit awful backhand approach shots then randomly rush the net like a total clown. If he does that, maybe they end up equals.
 
Alcaraz isn't greater than Roddick yet, though he will very likely be in the future.
Roddick's prime level clearly better at Wim/USO/AO so far.
Alcaraz only at RG.
 
Greater? Yes probably.

Better? I wouldn't neccessarily say yet, but he is likely to be soon, if he isn't already. Roddick is wildy underrated on this forum, and Alcarez is lucky to be coming up in such a terrible era, but when you think about it he is clearly better than Roddick on clay by such a huge margin, and he is already coming to reaching the level on non clay surfaces (now that he has shown to be strong on all of grass, hard courts, and indoors) any edge Roddick has on other surfaces even combined would not be enough to overcome the chasm between the two on clay, so even practically Alcarez is likely to be ahead.

Of course the fact this is even a debate still shows how terrible the generations coming up have been and how strong (comparatively) the Federer and even Nadal generation players are, since Alcarez is BY FAR the most talented player of like 3 or 4 generations consecutive of players and Roddick is a ways down the list of the Federer and Nadal generation players.
 
Antonio Puente said:
Wut?

Stick around a while.
Click to expand...

OK I can agree he is overrated by a few people probably, and a few Federer era fans, but he is very underrated by many others. Just look at some comments on him "serve bot" "all serve mug" "weak era clown". Heck even some former greats like Wilander and Becker say ridiculously overly negative things about him, so based on that I feel fine saying he is underrated. The very few people who overrated him a bit (possibly) are people like the McEnroe brothers who literally have a job to promote the current game and top Americans, and in Patrick's case a job to keep on the best American players good side as Davis Cup captain (similar to Mary Joe's conflict of interest with the Williams sisters, Capriati, Davenport) so barely even count.
 
insideoutforehands said:
Greater? Yes probably.

Better? I wouldn't neccessarily say yet, but he is likely to be soon, if he isn't already. Roddick is wildy underrated on this forum, and Alcarez is lucky to be coming up in such a terrible era, but when you think about it he is clearly better than Roddick on clay by such a huge margin, and he is already coming to reaching the level on non clay surfaces (now that he has shown to be strong on all of grass, hard courts, and indoors) any edge Roddick has on other surfaces even combined would not be enough to overcome the chasm between the two on clay, so even practically Alcarez is likely to be ahead.

Of course the fact this is even a debate still shows how terrible the generations coming up have been and how strong (comparatively) the Federer and even Nadal generation players are, since Alcarez is BY FAR the most talented player of like 3 or 4 generations consecutive of players and Roddick is a ways down the list of the Federer and Nadal generation players.
Click to expand...
When did Roddick beat anybody even remotely as good as Djokovic in a big Slam match? He did have to deal with prime Federer but the rest of that era (the early years of Roddick) was garbage, relatively.
 
NYTennisfan said:
When did Roddick beat anybody even remotely as good as Djokovic in a big Slam match? He did have to deal with prime Federer but the rest of that era (the early years of Roddick) was garbage, relatively.
Click to expand...
37 year old way past his prime Djokovic? To win his 2003 US Open title he beat atleast 2 people atleast similarily good (peak Ferrero, peak Nalbandian). And some other slam wins that would be as good or better than a grandpa, way past his prime Djokovic- Murray Wimbledon 2009, Djokovic 2009 Australian Open (which is a better win than beating Djokovic in 2023). And of course was points from beating Federer in Wimbledon 2009 which would be a light years better win than 37 year old Djokovic, LOL!
 
dking68 said:
He’s gonna have a great career, but it’s evident to me he has major weaknesses right now that will not allow him to win a grand slam this year
Click to expand...
As @Federer and Del Potro rightfully said in one thread

"if Sinner only improves his first serve, second serve, forehand, backhand, volleys, movement, stamina, point construction, footwork, clutch, tennis IQ; he'll be a great player.
 
Rafa4LifeEver said:
As @Federer and Del Potro rightfully said in one thread

"if Sinner only improves his first serve, second serve, forehand, backhand, volleys, movement, stamina, point construction, footwork, clutch, tennis IQ; he'll be a great player.
Click to expand...
I think that’s pushing it. But I would say the obvious weaknesses are clearly his first serve and his first serve percentage. Also his net ability can be improved alot
 
It hurts Carlos' resume a little that his 2 Masters, 1 Slam and all of his Weeks at #1 were potentially/in fact achieved only due to Djokovic not being able to play/Wimbledon 2022 not awarding points.
So I'd give it some time before putting Carlos as above Roddick.
 
insideoutforehands said:
OK I can agree he is overrated by a few people probably, and a few Federer era fans, but he is very underrated by many others. Just look at some comments on him "serve bot" "all serve mug"
Click to expand...

Here's the thing about that. Fed fans also used to say all the same things about Roddick... right up until the day they realized they needed to create the myth and make something out of him.

You're right, though, that the truth is usually somewhere in between. Was Roddick a complete clown and mug? No. Was he a one hit wonder who if not for message board political reasons would rarely be mentioned on this forum? Yes.
 
Antonio Puente said:
Here's the thing about that. Fed fans also used to say all the same things about Roddick... right up until the day they realized they needed to create the myth and make something out of Roddick.

You're right, though, that the truth is usually somewhere in between. Was Roddick a complete clown and mug? No. Was he a one hit wonder who if not for message board political reasons would rarely be mentioned on this forum? Yes.
Click to expand...
Thank goodness someone understands the agendas around here.
 
Holmes said:
Surely having double the slams and over double the weeks #1 of the other guy can squeak the odds in one's favor?
Click to expand...
Roddick has had more runs to his credit he did get stopped many times by Fed which matters a bit to me. But you could as good as call Alcaraz better already and he is only 20.
 
insideoutforehands said:
37 year old way past his prime Djokovic? To win his 2003 US Open title he beat atleast 2 people atleast similarily good (peak Ferrero, peak Nalbandian). And some other slam wins that would be as good or better than a grandpa, way past his prime Djokovic- Murray Wimbledon 2009, Djokovic 2009 Australian Open (which is a better win than beating Djokovic in 2023). And of course was points from beating Federer in Wimbledon 2009 which would be a light years better win than 37 year old Djokovic, LOL!
Click to expand...
Two things:
Had there been hawk-eye technology, Roddick probably wouldn't have won the 2003 US Open.
And the other is that many Djokovic fans consider that his current version is superior to the one shown at the 2007 US Open, for example, which put prime Federer on the ropes, especially in the first two sets from that final.
:notworthy:
 
Kralingen said:
He beat Djokovic in a Slam match, so I guess that qualifies as remotely as good as Djokovic.
Click to expand...
Ahh, he did beat Djokovic at the 2009 Aussie (I forgot about that one) but still not the same as beating him in a Wimbledon final when he's on the verge of setting all sorts of milestones. Plus 2023 Djokovic > 2009 Gluten filled Djokovic
 
NYTennisfan said:
Ahh, he did beat Djokovic at the 2009 Aussie (I forgot about that one) but still not the same as beating him in a Wimbledon final when he's on the verge of setting all sorts of milestones. Plus 2023 Djokovic > 2009 Gluten filled Djokovic
Click to expand...
It was a retirement win.
 
Holmes said:
It was a retirement win.
Click to expand...
Yes, but still a win just like Djokovic beating Alcaraz who could have easily retired from his match.

Regardless, even more reason why pre-2009 Djokovic wasn't close to the same player he turned out to be and still is. The conditioning wasn't near what it needs to be for him to maximize his immense potential.
 
NYTennisfan said:
Yes, but still a win just like Djokovic beating Alcaraz who could have easily retired from his match.

Regardless, even more reason why pre-2009 Djokovic wasn't close to the same player he turned out to be and still is. The conditioning wasn't near what it needs to be for him to maximize his immense potential.
Click to expand...
Djokovic has done a bit more to prove himself against slam champions than Roddick.
 
Don't just compare them. Compare Alcaraz to Roddick up to about November 2002. It's only close if:-

(1) You're comparing the kid to a guy who played top-level tennis for 12 years. I love Andy Roddick, my heart broke for him at Wimbledon 2009 just the same as everyone elses did, but he was a one-dimensional powder puff of a tennis player. More mentally stable than Safin, Nalbandian, Davydenko, more physically stable than Hewitt, Nalbandian, Safin, and that was about all he had going for him.

(2) You're not just comparing the two players, but thinking, as we do here, in the context of the three-way dick-measuring contest that every new thread here is actually subtextually about, and it doesn't suit your guys argument to pick Alcaraz over Roddick.
 
Alcaraz has probably achieved more or at least similar level achievements overall, he is probably ahead in Greatness.

But levelwise, no, roddick has shown higher level of play
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

TheNachoMan
  • Poll Poll
Alcaraz vs Roddick
2 3
Replies
125
Views
6K
SonnyT
S
powerangle
  • Poll Poll
Who currently is "greater"? Hewitt or Murray?
5 6 7
Replies
344
Views
23K
Deleted member 307496
D
Hitman
Young Nadal v Young Alcaraz - The story so far
2
Replies
68
Views
4K
DSH
DSH
Holmes
  • Poll Poll
Is Alcaraz greater than Roddick on grass?
Replies
12
Views
407
toth
T
D
  • Poll Poll
Wawrinka vs Roddick. Who is greater?
2 3 4
Replies
186
Views
11K
stringertom
stringertom
Back
Top