RODDICK finds NADAL V. ZVEREV DRAW

[@kushanshah8040]

What makes Roddick's reaction memorable is because despite feeling genuinely sad for Rafa, he still agrees that Rafa should not be seeded as he hasn't earned it compared to other players in the top 10. This shows his passion for the sport.

[@lanceking3147]

He has won the French Open 14 times in the past 19 years. Ohhhhh, I think he has earned it! 😂

[@streetfightsguild7480]

Plus we can't do that. That's discrediting all the hard work the top 300 players working towards 1 st round entry.

[@ΝάσοςΝ]

556k6kjkj​@@lanceking3147

[@ribhavgupta6148]

"You're trying to take 1 dumb rule and putting another one on top of it" (3:02). If we start looking at this line and implement its meaning, from where I'm sitting in can solve a whole lot of national issues😂😂

[@jonfreeman9682]

That's true but tournament director can take discretion to change the draw for the sport and fans. This is Rafa's last rodeo so you want him to go deep as fans want that.

[@juanv5375]

I think if Rafa faced a top 20-40 in the first round he would have got some rhythm and confidence and maybe he could have reached even quarter finals.

[@rafagoat575]

For sure, a couple "normal" first rounds and he'd beat anyone.

[@fabienlamour3644]

If,if,if,if,..

[@allainangcao28]

​@@fabienlamour3644Doesn't exist...

[@fabienlamour3644]

@@allainangcao28 Yep! It's over for papy. He's been a great legend but time to go. The fact that he can still play is because he loses in the first rounds. If he goes to far he'll be injured again and again.

[@pistolpete023]

Thing is, the greatest respect for a legendary competitor and champion like Rafa is to let him earn it. Letting him be seeded, or any crutch given to him, would have been insulting to Rafa.

[@SJ-di5zu]

Man Andy, we all wish Rafa could’ve pulled it off 😭 Zverev’s just a rough matchup

[@Divvy21]

Agreed. While Rafa’s level was nowhere near what it was in RG 2022, I think his level against Zverev would’ve likely beaten 90-95% of the draw. It was probably the best match he played this year (not saying much since it’s been a poor year for him, but still)

[@ahmedbebars6844]

Thanks for busting my eardrums

[@senorgato70]

I really dislike listening to Jon Wertheim. So many times, his thinking is so opposite mine. In this case, he's talking about wild cards. Why? Wild cards are used to allow chosen player to play in the main draw w/o going through qualifying. Rafa is already part of the main draw. Now, I agree 100% with Andy here and I'm glad. I saw another former player who basically felt that Rafa should have been seeded or the tournament shouldn't have been matched against the #4 seed. No. Andy's explanation was perfectly aligned with my thinking. Rafa is ranked #275 in the world. Yes, he's a 14-time champion, but seeds are based on recent play and recent ranking. Had he been ranked in the top40, maybe I could see some rationale for seeding him, but he's far off from that ranking. More importantly, the fact that not a single complaint or excuse was made by Rafa when the draw came out and after he lost. Pure class. Roger would have handled it the same. And Novak.

[@franks2910]

So you think it's fair that a great champion like Nadal should play a top ten player in the first round but mediocre players like Goffin or Nishikori get a wild card or a qualifier? Those aren't the only two examples. And I'm not a Nadal fan.

[@sonicmoj1]

Jon Wertheim. I have no comment about this guy. Horrific. I would have Nick K replace him 1000x as a tennis commentator.

[@senorgato70]

@@franks2910 I already answered that question with my first post. Sports and tennis isn't based on past performance, it's based on current. Nadal didn't deserve any special treatment. If there's any "special treatment" I think he would have deserved would have been to get a wild card had he been forced to play qualifying rounds but he was already in the main draw. But that's it.

[@franks2910]

@@senorgato70 Did you know that once upon a time the defending champion of a Grand Slam didn't have to play until the final. I'm not saying we should return to that but why do they hold rankings for injuries? Sorry but I think it's an injustice that someone like Goffin or Nishikori or any of the other examples should get wild cards and qualifiers whilst Nadal gets the 4th seeded player. Pure BS. Stupid too as Nadal is a huge draw and now he's out. I'll tell you too: I think there should be some preference for French players in the French Open and for Americans in the US Open, Australians for the Aussie GS and British at Wimbledon. I'm sure you will disagree but only a computer would say a mediocre player who never won a Grand Slam or hardly anything else should get a cozy first round draw while a 14 time champion should get the 4th seed. Do you consult your computer to tell you what you should always do?

[@Keepcalm-lovesports]

​@@franks2910you need to read up on how the rankings work and who qualifies for the main draw at slams. also the French Open for example famously give their wild cards to French players mostly. I believe Serena was an exception once. Everything that happened is quite normal

[@regisgrouard2809]

Maybe doing some homework about RG getting 2 courts with roof would avoid talking about rain delay! 🤣if only that was the only great argument given!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@al1976-v7m]

I agree with Andy that playing Zverev in Round 1 was actually not such a drawback. If he had to play him in the later stages where every opponent is difficult it would have been even harder. If he's beaten him first, he maybe would have had a few rounds where he could have taken it easy.

[@jonfreeman9682]

Unfortunately Rafa isn't going too far. Rafa deserves special exception. It's his last rodeo.

[@joes6712]

@@jonfreeman9682nah he’s washed get him out of here

[@michaelalexander299]

Sorry, but I’m not clear that this was an accidental, random pairing. Alcaraz said that he had heard he was the other possible opponent!!

[@anthonygiles8941]

conspiracy theorist!

[@nutrity2584]

What about wawrinka playing Murray in R1. These 2 are unseeded. How come Rafa was pitched against no 5 seed? How do the draws work?

[@yangao2598]

Well, wearing rational hat, both Murray and Wawrinka are top 100 - 70+ and 90+, but Nadal currently #275. Basically the draw will place Nadal against a top player anyway regardless of Sasha or another

[@NikBoyi]

@nutrity2584 It's quite simple how it works. 128 players attend in the first round, so we have 64 matches. The 32 hightest ranked players attending are seeded. The rest is drawing and therefore random. So Nadal - if he had been luckier - could just as easily have gotten a match vs an unseeded player like Murray, Wawrinka or a qualifier. But he got Zverev. Same thing could have happened to Wawrinka, but it didn't. That's bad luck for Rafa, but he understands the system and never complained about it.

[@grahamhall247]

RANDOM = A non-seeded player can be drawn against any player in the draw!😂

[@ribhavgupta6148]

Thank you for asking genuine questions, my friend. Good folks here have already answered. Just wanted to acknowledge that the question being asked is relevant. 'Being seeded' basically means playing favouritism (there is the wild cards, which is a separate topic altogether)

[@rafagoat575]

Roddick forgets what Wimbledon did with Federer in terms of seedings...

[@josiahbrown7258]

You forget that wimbledon no longer does that. They stopped a few years ago. It was really dumb

[@zeroelus]

JW: "Maybe there'll be a rain delay" Everyone: "You're predicting RAIN?!?!" He did in fact predict rain. ...tennis gods where a bit of a let down in other aspects though. That said, the noises now are that he might be back again for 2025, and Djokovic said as much. What is the served team thinking about that??

[@eao1978]

Is there not a new podcast this week? Anyone know?

[@kolussoer9603]

Andys reaction is priceless 😂

[@-jfo-]

Jon, rain delays won't affect any high seeds. The two major courts are covered.

[@peternguyen8275]

Feedback You are posting these short snippets too late. Understand you put up the whole discussion last week, but if u are posting short snippets of predictions, posting it 3 days after the match ctually occurred makes the discussion very irrelevant. Ur audience is viewing this after the match has occurred and not b4....

[@kevinstarski1598]

Honestly, I don't think Nadal would have gone far one way or another...he's shown us his form this clay season.

[@jonfreeman9682]

If lower ranked players he can get maybe quarters at best.

[@rafagoat575]

2020 and 2022, check his clay seasons and then check his RG

[@otter4771]

The #32 seed was Cam Norrie who went out in 5 sets in the first round against the #56 in the world. I believe Rafa would have beat Kotov. Eh, hindsight is 20/20. But really, if Wimbledon has done it for those with less success there, the French could have too.

[@ribhavgupta6148]

Other than the whole being seeded drama brought in by Jon, his spiritual energy in making Rafa win was something very nice to see. Made Andy say what he had in his own heart

[@franks2910]

The world has changed. The guy won 14 French Open titles but Goffin got a much better first round draw: a wild card! And that isn't the only example. This wouldn't have happened decades ago. People had more sense. When I saw the draw I was incredible. Put Rafa up against Zverev! That's the most unfair 'fairness' I've ever seen. Draws shouldn't be dictated by machines completely. There are nuances at play here that should be considered. Roddick sounds like a stooge for the corporate, woke side of tennis. BTW, I'm not a big Nadal fan. I want to know how putting Nadal up against Zverev but giving Goffin a wild card is either fair or a good idea. Now one of the biggest draws to the tournament is out. Guess who Goffin plays next.

[@NikBoyi]

Unfair fairness, that's a good one :D Goffin getting a wildcard into the tournament and Nadal getting Zverevin R1 has nothing to do with each other. Both Nadal and Goffin then had the same likelihood to play against Zverev, just as both had the same chance to play against a qualifier.

[@ThetennisDr]

Saw it on The podcast

[@wozmac771]

I wish Rafa had won this RG. It would be a record that no one could break. One GS title won more than Sampras's total from 3 GS titles. Even at 14, I would say it's incredibly difficult to win one GS title, more than Federer's, Nadal's, or Djokovic's total.

[@bob.loblaw_]

"We cant take a 70 year old and just put him in the masters, even though he has no chance." Who wants to tell him?

[@dragndorf9]

you do it because i have no idea what you mean

[@rosevillewoman2055]

Rafa is no 70 year old. He played very well.

[@bob.loblaw_]

@@rosevillewoman2055 considering he hasn’t played barely any tennis I’d say he did great.

[@OldSkoolLegend]

OP is referring to Biden. lol

[@rosevillewoman2055]

@@OldSkoolLegend 😂

[@rodgerscott358]

When is the next episode coming out?

[@mclovin7446]

did andy switched to wilson? pro staff like roger?

[@Ambassador055]

Better to go out on top. Like Sampras

[@kevinstarski1598]

Too late for that now...

[@caioscofield]

The argument that the guy made that Rafa should have gotten a WC seed (which doesn't even exist) can't be overstated on how dumb it is. Rafa got a main WC which is plenty. He's not complaining, why the hell are you?

[@jayschroe9133]

Wertheim looking the fool per usual

[@wesc6755]

John... omg. No. The logic is "A player we like might lose in the first round, **therefore** let's change the rules so that doesn't happen." That's quite silly. I think I'd stop watching tennis. How many times would a champion need to win to be gifted a seed? 14? 10? 6? And why stop there? What if there are three former chamions? And why would anyone make the effort to become seeded when they know they can be pushed out?

[@otter4771]

Wimbledon has done it in the past. Heck, even in 2019, they reversed Rafa and Roger's seedings. Why did Rafa make the effort to be seeded higher and then get dropped? It was based on Federer's body of work. Every GS has their rules and RG could have done their own.

[@ribhavgupta6148]

​@@otter4771 reversing top seeds and seeding a below 200 ranked player is a very big difference. It's an equal probability draw, and Nadal pulled the short end of the straw (so did Murray)

[@hangarby10]

Zverev wouldn’t stand a chance against Prime Nadal. Three sets.

[@NikBoyi]

so?

[@blackspiderman1887]

He shouldn't have been seeded, but yall could have at least not make him play a top 32 player in the first round. Cmon rolland Garros.

[@DRAVIDIAN500]

WIMBLEDON DOES THEIR OWN SEEDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY SHOULD HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@chrisrehr7116]

If you won a grand slam in the tournament you should be seeded.

[@northstartraveler3561]

Dimitrov is making you look bad 😂

[@sarwangunther4197]

This is unfair. something is wrong here.No rafa no tennis😔Tennis without rafa .Rafa makes tennis exciting.So sad Something is not right here.. I stop watching tennis😔😔😔💔We love y King rafa❤😔

[@Whatreally123]

Bye

[@usermatisse]

Oh nooo...you will stop watching tennis??? How are we going to live with such loss???... Anyway😂😂😂😂

[@SeeYou.0107]

OH Dear Rafa, Rafa, Rafa,..........😆😆😆

[@aBeatleFan4ever]

Andy says: "He hasn't been one of the top 32 players in the world." Well he did recently beat Alex de Minaur who has been ranked #9 this year. Have there been 32 other players who have beaten a top ten players this year..? How about top 64..? Do you think he might have deserved to be ranked among the top 64..? First round vs. one of the top ten is just dumb. It would have been nice for him to have a chance to play his way into some kind of form.

[@HenriVily]

There are players who gain atp points winning matches in order to be seeded. We can't deprive a player who won his ranking in the existing ranking system just because a player we love is in a very peculiar situation. Such a systemic change couldn't be decided in the last moment, without a lot of discussion between tournament, players, atp etc.

[@freddie_connor9202]

⁠@@HenriVilyi see what you mean but you could argue that you aren’t ‘depriving’ another player because nadal has spent 2 decades being one of the greatest players of all time 🤷🏻‍♂️ Similar to how they do it in the masters golf tournament, the legends have earned a right to be held to a higher esteem imo

[@HenriVily]

@@freddie_connor9202 You are depriving another player no matter what, you just consider giving Nadal an easier draw a more important matter. I understand the debate but I'm not even sure Nadal would have accepted such an exception, he built his legacy fairly, through hardship, consistensy and fighting every opponent he had to face.

[@tandecastro]

Wow, I remember when Novak got hurt and no one gave a flying shit about it, or his ranking. Or when he won Wimbledon and he didn't get the points!!!!!!!! This was super fair. Rafa's career is, unfortunately, over. If you really analise his style, physical, he actually went a loooong way. Let's be serious.

[@ribhavgupta6148]

Hahaha rain delay 😂😂 Doesn't even grand slam centre court now have roof? And please don't say 'they couldn't know if they'll play on centre court'

[@philipnguyen3107]

Why you are wasting time talking about the guy ranks 275 in the world.🚫💔🐂🚴🎾🏆🗼

[@amorris3185]

It would be cheating to favor Nadal! He would have lost anyway! He is not as fast on his feet any more and i doubt he would have last five sets!

[@Christiano97150]

Why is this guy even commenting about tennis…. He’s terrible, idk why Roddick didn’t just tell him he doesn’t know what he’s even talking about at all.

[@heavybattle6650]

Its Nadal's fault that this was his last RG. He could've retired after RG22 and he would've ended up with his last RG match as a final win. Now its a R1 straight set loss.

[@melanieruawai3363]

Yup, I am a long time tennis fan and a Big fan of Rafael. I thought his best chances to retire were either after his AO win in 2022 or after Roland Garros in the same year. He might not want to retire, but physically he is not capable of competing at his best, anymore.

[@actlike5095]

Nadal whit yoyur serve would have won easily hehe

[@denalowry8710]

No need for bad language

[@amorris3185]

so go ahead and stop watching tennis! I don't think tennis will miss you!

[@janetcox4873]

Nadal would lose to anyone, guys. THAT is why he was given Zverev in the first round. Andy's prediction that Nadal gets to semi's if he beats Zverev is boy idol stuff. Ridiculous.

[@jamescurrie7897]

How would he lose to anyone, he definitely could have beat a good chunk of the field.

[@janetcox4873]

@@jamescurrie7897 And you can think that because he has to play Zverev, .... saved his reputation and dignity in the minds of many. It's a mind trick and you fell for it. He hasn't been right since he got the covid-fails-to-protect-but-will-mess-you-up shot. I feel for him, but he's not 'there'. Some of us see it, others don't. Doesn't matter.

[@janetcox4873]

@@jamescurrie7897 yep, Roland Garros has it 'out' for Nadal, .... you're so right, ....what was I thinking?

[@Divvy21]

Nadal would’ve actually beaten quite a lot of the draw. His level is still not good compared to 2022, but I feel his level against Zverev would’ve been enough against 95% of this draw. He just unlucky

[@janetcox4873]

@@Divvy21 Ya, cuz those draws are allllll by chance. I think you may be as vaccine-injured as Nadal is. Roland Garros peeps love Nadal. Start your analysis from there, ......

[@123Rockchild]

Is it really necessary to curse, Andy? 🙄

[@Divvy21]

Nothing wrong with cursing. Most people watching this are probably not kids lol

[@usermatisse]

Let's be honest there was not even a possibility out of 1mil to win against Zverev. Nadal is completely cooked, his body is a disaster, and in fact he lost in straight set and without any single moment where he could overcome the match

[@ce7768]

You sound stupid asf but that's expected of a HATER so we are not surprised.

[@haydnsamuels73]

Be a bit more dramatic

[@FloridaIndependent]

He lost. Period.

[@barbaraball4041]

Not a a fan? Assh