"Sinner suited to get the job done and leave, Carlos needs to get inspired": Roddick and Wertheim predict Sinalcaraz ATP Finals showdown

On the eve of the ATP Finals conclusion, Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim sat down to dissect one of the defining dynamics of the current ATP landscape: the contrast between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as the season wears toward its indoor conclusion.

What emerged was a revealing discussion about surfaces, energy, the psychology of the No. 1 ranking — and a remarkable personal story from Roddick’s own chase for year-end supremacy at the ATP Finals.

Roddick opened with an observation that is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. Carlos Alcaraz, after electrifying runs at major tournaments — including his US Open triumph and that “all-time” performance against Jannik Sinner — has consistently struggled to maintain his level indoors at the tail end of the year. But Roddick stressed: this isn’t a criticism of Alcaraz as a player. It’s simply the reality of comparing Alcaraz to the “superhuman version” of himself.

“He’s a guy who relies on electricity from the crowd,” Roddick explained. “He likes the atmosphere, he likes the show, he likes being an entertainer.”

The indoor European swing, then, presents a problem. Days are short — “you’re outside for like four minutes of daylight” — the environments are artificial, and the energy Alcaraz feeds on diminishes. Roddick contrasted this with Sinner’s more understated personality. “Sinner is maybe better suited to go in, get the job done, and leave. Carlos maybe needs to get inspired a little more.”

Wertheim pointed out a major contextual factor: Sinner took a self-imposed 90-day break earlier in the year, skipping all competitive play between the Australian Open and Rome. Alcaraz, meanwhile, scarcely paused at all.

“It’s a lot easier to finish strong when you’ve had a 90-day break,” Wertheim said. The irony is that the one event Alcaraz failed to make at least the final between Miami and the end of the season was a tricky matchup against Cameron Norrie — a blip in an unusually consistent year.

The broader pattern, Roddick suggested, is familiar. Rafael Nadal rarely finished seasons strongly either, but that owed more to physical wear and the accumulated burden of months on hard courts. Alcaraz’s challenges may stem from the surface itself.

Roddick offered an insider’s view of why some great outdoor players find indoors less intuitive. Indoor events, he noted, are rarely played in arenas built specifically for tennis. Courts may be laid over wood or installed temporarily. The bounce is “muted,” limiting the creativity players like Alcaraz and Nadal rely on — think topspin jumping above a shoulder, or a last-second flicked lob.

“You don’t get as much value for being creative,” he said. “Rafa ripping spin over someone’s shoulders becomes slightly below their shoulders — that changes everything.”

Add the lack of sunlight, the absence of natural airflow, and the more subdued energy from indoor crowds, and late-season tennis becomes a unique psychological puzzle.

With Sinner defending his ATP Finals title and Alcaraz still in the hunt to reclaim No. 1, Wertheim asked the obvious question: once you’ve already been world No. 1, how much does getting back to that spot actually matter?

Roddick’s answer was precise. On a week-to-week basis, almost not at all. But year-end No. 1? That’s different.

“It’s a big, prestigious number,” he said. “Only a few can talk about it and understand it. Once you’re in striking distance at the end of the year, it matters.”

Roddick recalled that when he first became No. 1 during his own career, he was even more motivated to finish the year in the top position. And that became the perfect segue to the most memorable moment of the conversation.

In 2003, three men entered the ATP Finals with a shot at the final season-ending No. 1 ranking: Roger Federer, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Roddick himself. Federer fell out of the race early. That left Ferrero, who needed a deep run — and needed Roddick to stumble. Roddick, meanwhile, found himself in an unexpectedly vulnerable position: exhausted after a 70-win season and emotionally drained.

He recalled following the pivotal Ferrero–Agassi match on a friend’s cell phone — a friend who was physically in the building in Houston because there were no live scoring apps at the time. “Andre’s serving the match out. If he serves it out, I’m No. 1. I hear the crowd roar, and I know — it’s done.”

His childhood idol had just delivered him the world No. 1 ranking. What happened next became a cherished moment.

The day after achieving No. 1, Roddick lost his next match to Rainer Schüttler. He was flat, overwhelmed, and already looking ahead to the trophy presentation. Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush — a regular at Houston tennis events — was scheduled to present Roddick with the official No. 1 trophy.

The moment became one of the most human, humorous episodes of Roddick’s career. Bush congratulated him and then, as they posed with their index fingers held high, leaned over and whispered: "After your match this afternoon, I bet you want to give everyone a different finger, don’t you?”

Roddick burst out laughing — and the photograph, still searchable today, captured both men grinning mid-joke.

Roddick used the story to illustrate the emotional volatility players face at the end of long seasons. Whether chasing a ranking, fighting fatigue, or dealing with the strange intensity of indoor venues, the final stretch plays tricks on even the toughest minds.

Felix Auger-Aliassime, he added, was a “perfect example” that week of how players can swing between confidence and struggle as the year winds down.