Andy Roddick’s absence from the commentary booth for the US Open final has left some tennis fans wondering why ESPN did not put the former champion in the three-person booth for a match with so much history attached to it.

Roddick is the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title, having lifted the US Open trophy in 2003. Now, 23-year-old Ben Shelton is one win away from ending that drought against Alexander Zverev. Tennis insider Jon Wertheim raised exactly that point, questioning why not lean on its former champion for the biggest American men’s match in more than two decades.

“Conflicts fully disclosed here…,” Wertheim posted on X. “But you have a player trying to become the first American man to win a major in nearly a quarter century. You have that previous winner on your roster. If you are the broadcaster, wouldn’t this be a great time to lean on his considerable talent and relevant insight, and have him in the three-person booth for the final?”

Earlier this year, Roddick announced a multi-year deal he signed with ESPN for their coverage of Wimbledon and the US Open. 

It is hard to argue with that logic. Shelton is trying to accomplish what Roddick did 23 years ago. But his absence from the booth at the Shelton match seems odd, because he would have been the perfect choice given the stakes. However, Roddick is present among onlookers in the match.

Fans’ sentiment also seems to agree with Werthiem, as Roddick has quickly become one of the more popular voices on ESPN’s coverage this year. 

Viewers have praised the former world No. 1 for bringing humor while still offering sharp insight into what is happening on court. The latter is also something fans are familiar with via his Served podcast, which has also built a large audience outside traditional tennis broadcasting. 

On social media, some of the fans believed that Chris Fowler should be replaced by Roddick, while some consider the ideal commentary pairing would be Jim Courier and Roddick.

There was some pushback to Wertheim’s argument, though. Questions arise about whether ESPN could simply ignore a contractual situation to put Roddick in the booth. This is an equally logical reply given that we don’t know the details of the contractual restraints Roddick signed. 

There is also a connection between Roddick and Shelton that goes beyond the broadcast. After his semifinal win, Shelton approached Roddick at the live desk and apologized for not responding to a recent text. Roddick replied, “I don’t care,” prompting some speculation online before Rennae Stubbs clarified that there was no tension between the two.

Stubbs explained that Roddick understood Shelton was busy and was not taking the missed message personally, calling the exchange a “nice moment.”

Now Shelton has the chance to follow Roddick’s path and become the first American man since him to win a Grand Slam.

Roddick may not be in the booth for that moment, but the reaction to his absence suggests plenty of fans would have liked to hear from the man who knows exactly what Shelton is trying to accomplish.