This year’s US Open has given the broadcast booth two very different storylines for its two voices. Andy Roddick has been the pleasant surprise on the ESPN coverage in his first tournament calling matches in New York, while John McEnroe finds himself facing fan backlash for the second time in the final major of the season.
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Christopher Clarey, who has covered tennis for nearly four decades with The New York Times, wrote:
“Enjoying the @andyroddick commentary on ESPN so far but then that’s no surprise. One of the most insightful and quick-witted players I have covered in nearly 40 years of doing this. He also, dare we dream, seems to understand the power of silence in his work with @cbfowler. Tennis commentary needs a revival of less-is-more.”
Much of the response online praised Roddick for being funny and self-deprecating while still sharp on the actual tennis, the same combination that has made his weekly podcast a hit with fans over the past year. For a broadcast booth that has heard several complaints in the past week, John McEnroe, it played almost as a collective sigh of relief, with several viewers drawing direct comparisons and coming away wishing they were hearing more of Roddick instead.
However, just a few days earlier, the four-time US Open champion drew criticism for his non-stop interruptions and repeated mispronunciation of Zverev’s name during the German’s marathon win over Lorenzo Sonego in the first round of the tournament.
That backlash had barely faded when he was called out again for joking that Mariano Navone, fresh off stunning Novak Djokovic, would be “playing his second round on Court 21,” a court that doesn’t exist at Flushing Meadows, a line many felt undersold the upset. These complaints were even persistent from fans at Wimbledon and the French Open as well.
Roddick’s reception is actually partly because of what he brings to the role. He’s the last American man to win the singles event at the US Open in 2003, and he signed with ESPN this year on a multi-year contract that started with Wimbledon, which was then extended to this tournament as well. Colleague Mary Joe Fernandez has already praised him as “so much fun to be around” and “so witty and quick,” which is not surprising considering Roddick hosts a successful podcast named Served, which has over 245k subscribers on YouTube.
Fans have even loved their duo together. Listeners appreciate the podcast energy Roddick brings to the mic, not just constant talking but commentary that has humor along with proper insights and breakdown.
ESPN is already benefiting from Roddick’s growing popularity, and this week’s split reaction has made one thing clear: one of the sport’s most veteran voices is getting diminished, and new voices are overshadowing it.