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Andy Roddick highlights Jannik Sinner’s serve as key weakness after US Open loss

Originally posted on HITC | By Callum Davies | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 10:33 AM ET

Andy Roddick has singled out a specific area Jannik Sinner needs to address after his loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final.

Sinner found it tough going against Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows, marking his second Grand Slam final defeat to the Spaniard in 2025. The four-set loss also cost Sinner his World No. 1 ranking, a position he had held for more than a year.

Andy Roddick has pointed to one area of Sinner’s game that needs improvement if he wants to reclaim the top spot on the ATP Tour.

Roddick weighs in on Sinner’s serve after US Open defeat

Sinner’s serve, usually a strength, came under fire during the US Open final, with both John McEnroe and Roddick noting how much it struggled against Alcaraz.

“The serve was as bad as it’s been probably in a year since they adjusted, and it massively improved,” said Roddick on Served.

Speaking on his show Served, Roddick was asked what was missing from Sinner’s game. “Something wasn’t quite right with the serve,” he replied. “That’s number one.”

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The American also cast doubt on whether switching to a more serve-and-volley approach would actually help Sinner.

Sinner had suggested he might try to become more unpredictable by using the tactic more often. But as Roddick pointed out: “He says serve and volley. It’s tough to serve and volley when you’re making 40 percent of your first serves. That’s a tough one.”

Sinner now trails Alcaraz 10-5 in their head-to-head meetings.

Andy Roddick thinks Jannik Sinner should mix up his approach to beat Carlos Alcaraz

Sinner was outplayed by Alcaraz for most of the match, struggling to find any answers against the Spaniard’s variety and court coverage.

Roddick felt Sinner’s approach in the final lacked urgency, and it may have cost him another Grand Slam title.

“Carlos almost came out in the extreme and was saying: ‘I am going to slice, I am going to play up.’ There was no rhythm for Jannik,” Roddick said on his Served podcast.

“When Jannik gets into where he can click, click, click, click, click. He becomes a robot. He didn’t let him get into that thing where he knew what was coming.”

Roddick believes Sinner might benefit from stepping outside his usual patterns early in matches.

“Maybe Jannik has to be a bit of a psycho at the beginning of matches. Maybe he has to throw in some serve and volleys,” Roddick added.

Sinner has now lost seven of his last eight meetings with Alcaraz, a stretch that began at the 2024 Indian Wells semi-final.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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