Served with Andy Roddick – US Open Draw Show | Live from Fan Week
Date: August 22, 2025
Host: Andy Roddick
Guest: Jon Wertheim (CBS/60 Minutes), Mike (Producer)
Podcast: Served with Andy Roddick
Episode: 2025 US OPEN DRAW SHOW | LIVE FROM FAN WEEK
Episode Overview
Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim assemble live in New York, in front of a tennis-loving audience, to break down and predict the 2025 US Open main draws. The tone is irreverent, deeply enthusiastic, and built around real-time draw picks and lively banter. The first half covers reactions to the new mixed doubles event, followed by a meticulous, sometimes hilarious review of the women’s and men’s singles draws. Along the way, they highlight storylines, share inside tennis insights, and interact with both each other and the fans onsite—committing ridiculous picks, sharing heartfelt tributes, and inviting friendly boos and applause.
Main Theme
A deep dive and playful analysis of the 2025 US Open singles draws (both women’s and men’s), including firsthand reactions to draw outcomes, player trajectories, notable first rounders, and hot takes, alongside broader commentary on the sport’s innovations, personalities, and shifting storylines.
Notable Segments, Key Points, and Quotes
1. Celebrating the US Open Mixed Doubles Innovation
[00:54–11:24]
- Massive success: The new-format mixed doubles, featuring top singles and doubles players, drew big crowds and media attention.
- Doubles exposure: For once, the tennis world’s eyes were on specialist doubles teams.
- "We had the attention of the tennis universe inside that stadium on the great game of doubles, which... has been the goal for a long time." — Andy Roddick [03:13]
- Impact: Both hosts discuss the pros/cons and suggest tweaks for further improvement (such as adding play-in tournaments or public entries).
- Player effort and credibility: "The fact that they're questioning calls, IGA's pissed after every shot she misses—did wonders for the credibility and the questions that I think people had around this event." — Andy Roddick [06:53]
- Calls for expansion: Both speculate about future formats, including major champions getting wildcards and the idea of a "true open" with public qualifiers.
2. Live Draw Picking: Women’s Singles
[13:27–52:07]
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Format: Andy sees the draw for the first time; Jon has already scouted it. They make live picks, with audience participation and calls for boos/cheers.
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Key sections and notables:
- Sabalenka is favorite up top, but has heartbreakers: “You have reset expectations to a level where it’s slam or bust.” — Andy Roddick [15:44]
- Clara Tauson and Elena Rybakina are flagged as deep threats by Andy.
- Jasmine Paolini and Jess Pegula: Both get praise — "If you like her as a player, you would like her more as a person. Love Jess Pegula." — Andy [20:21]
- Vika Azarenka: Noted as a dangerous floater.
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Jon’s contrarian picks: Frequently takes surprise upsets — “I have Yastremska beating Pegula to get to the fourth round.” [22:27]
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Samsonova’s superstition: She doesn’t want to know her next opponent until the day of the match.
- “Given the choice of more information or less, I generally choose more.” — Andy [24:15]
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Tributes:
- Petra Kvitova, retiring, gets heartfelt appreciation. “It is an impossibility...to make it through 14 years of pro tennis and really not have anyone that has anything bad to say about you.” — Andy [35:56]
- Venus Williams, age 45, lionized for her longevity and what she means to tennis and culture.
- "Venus Williams, we love you. You're the best. Thank you for being you." — Andy [40:23]
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Naomi Osaka’s comeback: Both see her as a possible threat if she regains form.
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Coco Gauff’s serve debate:
- Andy breaks down her serve’s evolution: “All that criticism about her serve...I have Coco in the semis.” [45:55]
- Jon: “She’s sort of figured out how to summon winning tennis even when she has this on-again, off-again relationship with her serve.” [46:47]
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American women’s surge: Four in top slots; both Andy and Jon highlight the strength of the US women’s field.
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Fan engagement and bracket challenge: Live audience urged to pick alongside and trash talk the hosts’ picks via QR code.
Key Picks and Debates:
- Semifinals and Finals Predictions:
- Andy: Rybakina vs. Andreva, Gauff vs. Swiatek; Swiatek over Rybakina in the final.
- Jon: Sabalenka vs. Samsonova, Keys vs. Swiatek; Swiatek wins.
- On predictions: “No one remembers these picks and no one ever gives you grief when you really...” — Jon Wertheim [33:52]
3. Live Draw Picking: Men’s Singles
[54:46–93:00]
- Section-by-section, top-line takeaways:
- Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz: The consensus favorites up top. “If we’re doing this in good faith, how do you not pick either Alcaraz or Sinner?” — Jon Wertheim [88:41]
- Andy contextualizes their place in history: “Both of them win 10 majors at some point...we get spoiled by the big three, but let’s not ignore the rest of history and how special these two are.” [55:48]
- American prospects: Tommy Paul, Fritz, Tiafoe, Shelton — all attract mention.
- On Ben Shelton: “He has grown by leaps and bounds...He is doing that over and over and over again. So now you have to think of two or three or four things that you’re going to do every single time if you want to beat Ben Shelton.” — Andy [84:01]
- Fan favorite sections: Jack Draper segment, Jensen Brooksby’s journey; much laughter about “Social Sophie” (the show’s social media driver) and audience bracket trash talk.
- Novak Djokovic appreciation: “If any journalist asks him when he’s going to retire, he should say, when I’m not one of the best players in the world anymore and just save himself that question over and over again.” — Andy Roddick [70:15]
- Long shots & wildcards: Audience is polled on their picks, cueing laughter and more heckling.
Key Picks (Summaries):
- Winners:
- Both hosts ultimately select the winners as:
- Women’s: Iga Swiatek
- Men’s: Jannik Sinner. (“I have Jannik Sinner winning the US Open.” — Andy Roddick [88:31])
- Both hosts ultimately select the winners as:
- Finalists: Alcaraz–Sinner final for men; Swiatek–Rybakina for women.
4. Memorable Quotes & Banter
- “I have never seen the draw before. I always know who’s going to be up top. This wind is really fun...” — Andy [13:27]
- “Props to the US Open. A lot of time, the biggest ideas aren’t the easiest ideas.” — Andy [11:06]
- “Sometimes, we lose the forest for the trees... Venus Williams isn’t deserving of a gift from the US Open? Shut up. Get out of here. She’s been a gift to us. It’s not the other way around.” — Andy Roddick [39:17]
- “He has been an open book. And it also shows you that in this game of tennis, no matter what you are...you can be successful.” — Andy on Jensen Brooksby [59:29]
- “Who thinks Sinner defends his title?” — Jon Wertheim, inviting a cheer-off [89:02]
5. Audience Q&A & Closing Rapid Fire
[92:01–96:56]
- Fans ask about dark horses, best surface for Sinner vs. Federer, and next American men’s champion.
- Andy avoids naming names on the next US men’s slam winner (“Taylor or Ben”).
- “Who’s going to win a slam not named Alcaraz or Sinner?”
- Jon and Andy thank the fans, their crew, and the community for making tennis and this podcast thrive.
Timestamps of Important Segments
- Mixed doubles event success & review: [00:54–11:24]
- Women’s draw picks start: [13:27]
- Sabalenka deep-dive: [15:11–16:29]
- Kvitova/Venus tributes: [35:39–40:23]
- Coco Gauff discussion: [43:44–46:31]
- Women’s semis/final picks: [51:16–52:10]
- Men’s draw picks start: [54:46]
- Sinner & Alcaraz in context: [55:48]
- Jack Draper/social media hijinks: [63:26]
- Venus Williams wild card debate: [39:17]
- Jensen Brooksby life story: [59:29]
- Crowdsourced picks (Novak vs. Fritz): [80:28–81:45]
- Ben Shelton's upgrades: [83:27–85:18]
- Finals/winner picks: [88:22–89:02]
- Fan questions & podcast wrap: [92:01–96:56]
Summary Table: Hosts’ Picks at a Glance
| Draw | Andy Roddick | Jon Wertheim | |----------------|------------------------|-------------------------| | Women’s Final | Swiatek def. Rybakina | Swiatek def. Sabalenka | | Men’s Final | Sinner def. Alcaraz | Sinner def. Alcaraz | | American Depth | Gauff, Keys, Pegula, Anisimova in QFs/SFs | Same, w/some upset specials |
Tone and Language
- Candid, playful, and sometimes self-deprecating
- Mix of expert analysis and pure tennis fandom
- Real language, with jokes, mild swearing, and invitations for the crowd to boo or cheer
- Frequent asides and “inside tennis” stories (superstitions, old rivalries, industry tidbits)
Takeaways for Listeners
- The US Open’s fresh innovations (mixing top singles and doubles players in the spotlight) have excited both fans and insiders.
- The draws for both men and women are deep, full of intrigue, and even the favorites have tough paths.
- Fans onsite and online can now participate in live bracket challenges and banter with the hosts—making pro tennis more accessible and interactive than ever before.
- The game’s legends (Venus, Novak, Kvitova) are celebrated alongside its young stars (Sinner, Alcaraz, Gauff, Fonseca, and others), reflecting both respect for the sport’s heritage and excitement for its future.
Notable Moment:
“Venus Williams, we love you. You're the best. Thank you for being you. ...We should be full of gratitude for having had Venus Williams in our game.” — Andy Roddick [40:23]
Final Shot:
Tennis is in a fantastic place, mixing tradition with bold new experiments, stacked with legends, rising stars, and a growing, engaged fan base. And, as Roddick and Wertheim prove, it’s never been more fun to predict, debate, and just celebrate the game.