“I’m 6 foot 2, barely and not all that athletic,” Andy Roddick marvels at the revamped “prototype” of athleticism in tennis

The former World No. 1 talks about the changing trend with players focusing more on building an 'athletic body' instead of honing their tennis skills.

“I’m 6 foot 2, barely and not all that athletic,” Andy Roddick marvels at the revamped “prototype” of athleticism in tennis

Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz (Credits: Bleacher Report, Rafael Nadal Fans, US Sun)

Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick has jumped into the debate surrounding the changing demands of a tennis player. Apart from the skill with the racket, the demand has drastically changed for being extremely fit.

As the Tour calendar gets packed, players are forced to adapt quickly to changing surfaces. Even hardcourts are not the same everywhere. The surfaces are manipulated big time. The old timers would remember the All-England Club as one of the fastest courts for the season.

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But sadly even Wimbledon matches are extended due to the long rallies. The generation of Boris Becker and Pete Sampras only knew firing an ace or just ‘serve and volley’ to win points at Wimbledon. But lately, the trend has changed drastically.

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With the ever-going debate on the ball quality, the fitness levels expected from players have gone up immensely. More than a player, an individual needs to be an athlete to survive the constant changing of surfaces, balls, jetlags, and scheduling. Roddick addressed this issue directly comparing the different eras. 

We're closer athletically than we have ever been before. I guess that's more on me than you but anyway. I see this new prototype of a professional tennis player, where you're super skinny, you're super athletic, you're super fit, you can get in and out of the corners and you're 6 ft. 7, you're 6 ft. 4, like this new athlete in tennis. I was considered big when I played. I'm 6 foot 2, barely, and not all that athletic.
said Roddick speaking with Jon Wertheim.
I could serve but not super athletic. Now you have these guys that get in and out of the corners. They all play well off both sides. They can take you line, they can take you cross. I mean, Sinner is hitting open stance, you know, kind of recovery shots, but sticking them line out of nowhere. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. When I watch this, it just doesn't make sense to me.
added the former World No. 1.

How the fitness of players has changed the game

If one dwells on the comments of Roddick, Novak Djokovic will be the first name to pop into their head. The Serb had changed his entire training and diet routine to remain fit. This meant he completely adopted a plant-based lifestyle and it has had a huge impact on his results.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Credits: Rediff)

The second half of the 2010s was completely dominated by the Serb. He won the most Grand Slam titles during the time which helped him close the gap between him and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He eventually overtook both of them and currently leads the Tour for most singles Major with 24 to his name.

At the same time, the likes of Nadal and Andy Murray have suffered due to their fitness concerns. While the Spaniard has been troubled by his chronic foot injury, the Briton had to undergo a hip injury. He currently plays with a metal hip. But despite these, the duo have picked various other injuries as well.

Similarly, the likes of Dominic Thiem, Nick Kyrgios, Matteo Berrettini, and Denis Shapovalov have all suffered big injuries that forced them off the Tour. As a result, they lost their form and have not been able to make successful comebacks.

The changing trend of focusing more on fitness can be seen as detrimental to the quality of tennis. But with the likes of Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev proving to survive the long battles, finding the right balance between talent and fitness is the need of the hour.

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