Alcaraz Should Not Be 'Too Honest' And Keep His 'Mental Insecurities' A Secret Says Roddick
News
Carlos Alcaraz was very honest after his loss at the 2025 Indian Wells Open, and even though it felt relatable for many fans, Andy Roddick wasn't necessarily a fan of the Spaniard's honesty.
Roddick is a former ATP World No. 1 and the 2003 US Open champion. When it comes to tennis, he could say that 'he's been there and done that,' as he has achieved the two main dreams and goals of every tennis player, and that's winning a major and reaching the No. 1 rank.
Now, after his career, the American started sharing his views on the sport on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast. During the latest episode, he welcomed former WTA World No. 1 Kim Clijsters as a guest.
During the episode, Roddick discussed the comments made by Carlos Alcaraz after his loss at the 2025 Indian Wells Open. Alcaraz lost to Jack Draper in the semi-finals of the tournament.
Following his loss, the 21-year-old player was very honest about how he felt. He mentioned that he struggled with nerves throughout the day, something he didn't like.
The four-time Grand Slam champion thought that it impacted his game and the subsequent result of the match, even though he didn't fail to recognize his opponent's efforts.
Nerves are something that Alcaraz has struggled with before, and it seems to be an ongoing theme in his tennis career. That's also one of the reasons why Roddick questioned the Spaniard's honesty during the most recent episode of his podcast.
Roddick admitted that he, too, was often nervous before the matches, but not about his opponent, like Alcaraz admitted he was. Instead, the American player worried about whether he would be able to execute his game plan well.
"I was nervous all the time, but it was about executing a game plan. Being ready to, like, 'will this work, can I execute, can I do it?'"
At the same time, Roddick suggested that someone in Alcaraz's team should probably tell the 21-year-old not to be too honest about his nervous feelings.
Roddick himself knows that many tennis players lost to the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer even before stepping onto the court because of the so-called "aura" that they carried with them.
With Alcaraz's honesty, the Spaniard lets his opponents know that he's not invincible, even though that's something that they might have thought otherwise as some did against the Big Three.
"But I have another question — if you’re in Alcaraz’s camp, how honest is too honest? Like, he has this cloak of, like, people are ready, you know, he’s won four Slams, he’s 21. Do you want people to know that you kind of have this — maybe sometimes — mental insecurity?"
"I appreciate it as someone who’s consuming the game as a fan because I think it makes it relatable. I think he’s more endearing for having shared it. But if you’re in his camp, are you going, 'don’t tell people that, they think you’re invincible?'"
Alcaraz will have a chance to show that he improved in handling his nerves at the upcoming Miami Open. He is the second seed at the event and he will start against David Goffin or Aleksandar Vukic.
