Andy Roddick Thinks He Has Identified Big Issue Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Are Dealing With: “There Is Always a Bill to Pay”

Injuries have derailed Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner‘s 2026 seasons. First, Alcaraz succumbed to a wrist injury that forced him to withdraw from quite a few big events, including the French Open and Wimbledon.

When he recovered and returned to action at the US Open, many thought they would finally see the arch-rivals in the same draw, but Sinner injured his knee and skipped the New York Major. He later ended his 2026 season.

Andy Roddick believes Sinner and Alcaraz’s bodies are struggling to withstand the physical demands over the long term. And this, Roddick believes, could stop them from breaking the records of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

But also, Sinner’s body went AWOL at the French Open for a different reason. He was able to win Wimbledon, so we know what his top level looks like. But in order to get to the pantheon of what he has deserved, the speculation for, your body has to hold up for a really long time.

Andy Roddick said on his Served podcast

Roddick then praised the Big 3 as well as compatriot Serena Williams, saying he is “amazed” by their longevity, which saw them win 20 or more Grand Slam titles.

Just for a second, let’s sidebar skill, mentality, the ability to play in pressure moments, but also just dragging your body across the finish line so many times. We are seeing that it is not easy. I think Carlos and Jannik are showing that this year, on the back of three or four years of excellence and the best tennis in the world, there is always a bill to pay.

Andy Roddick added

Sinner played the first five Masters 1000 events of the season to test how far his body can hold up. Although he succeeded in these events, he suffered a physical collapse after losing in the second round at the French Open. He later defended his Wimbledon title by beating Alexander Zverev before announcing his decision to end his season.

Alexander Zverev on reaching the No.1 ranking during Jannik Sinner’s absence

Alexander Zverev will end the season ranked No.1. Jannik Sinner is the reigning champion at the Vienna Open, Paris Masters, and the ATP Finals. But as he has ended his season, he will lose significant ranking points.

Zverev won both the French Open and the US Open without facing either Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz. He faced Sinner five times this season, losing all. The Wimbledon final defeat, in fact, was his 10th consecutive loss to the five-time Grand Slam champion.

It’s difficult for me to give an opinion, but I know that many people think it’s good for me that he’s not on the tour. But I don’t think so, on the contrary. I’m not that kind of person: I like competing with the best in the world, and even if Jannik has beaten me many times this year, I would like him to be on the tour with me. I hope he can return soon to play the most important tournaments at the world, he is one of the best tennis players and deserves to be there.

Alexander Zverev said after his win over Quentin Halys (via Sky Sports Italy)

After defeating Halys in the third round of the Shanghai Masters, the two-time Grand Slam champion beat Alexander Bublik in the fourth round to reach the quarterfinal against Alex de Minaur. Zverev holds an 8-4 head-to-head record over the Aussie but lost their last two matches at the 2025 and 2026 Laver Cup.

Also read: Ex-WTA Player Is Losing ‘Sympathy’ for Carlos Alcaraz After Recent Complaints