In this post-Paris edition of ‘Served with Andy Roddick’, former No. 1 Kim Clijsters talks about the current No. 1, Iga Swiatek, while Jon Wertheim reflects on a “weird” tournament.
Cljsters said that her favorite match of the tournament was Swiatek’s second-rounder against Naomi Osaka, in which Iga saved a match point. Osaka played “the best tennis,” said Clijsters, but she also had high praise for finalist Jasmine Paolini.
“The final wasn’t a close match, but she was just enjoying every second that she was out there, and smiling and laughing to her team and during the games,” Clijsters said.
Onto the men’s side, Wertheim—coming straight from an interview with champion Alcaraz—unpacks his five-set final-round win over Alexander Zverev.
“I think everyone…remembered what happened to Carlos last year with the cramps, they knew about the context of Zverev that the complications with him making the final, they were still recovering I think a little bit from Rafa from Novak—it’s been a bit of a weird tournament,” Wertheim said. “Just as the players had a hard time finding rhythm, so did the fans.
“In the end, we get our storyline. ‘Nadal may have played for the last time but the new Spaniard comes—and not only that, but the guy who beat Nadal in round one is the final opponent on the final Sunday.’ Today was a weird one, but I don’t think anyone’s asking for a refund, and I think ultimately tennis has its new champion, tennis has a new steward, we’re all going to be fine.”