Podcast Summary: Served with Andy Roddick

Episode: 2025 US OPEN RE-DRAW SPECIAL | Andy Roddick & Jon Wertheim Re-Pick the Winners!
Date: September 2, 2025
Guests: Jon Wertheim (Sports Illustrated), Producer Mike, Techie Sean

Episode Overview

In this special "Redraw" episode, Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim revisit their picks for the 2025 US Open after the first week of play brought unexpected results, upsets, and new narratives. Broadcasting candidly from a hotel room, the hosts poke fun at their own prediction missteps, weigh in on tennis trends, and re-pick their projected winners for both the men’s and women’s draws. The podcast remains lively, self-deprecating, and insightful, giving tennis fans an expert-level yet accessible re-examination of the year’s final Grand Slam.

Setting the Scene & Approach (00:01–02:48)

• The “Redraw Show” is a tradition where Andy, Jon, and crew publicly admit to getting their initial picks wrong and get a "second serve" at forecasting the US Open outcome.
• Light ribbing among the hosts sets a relaxed, bantery tone.
  • Quote – Andy: "This is the one where you can say you suck at your job. This is the Redraw show." (01:07)
• Vibes: Live, informal (“we’re in a random hotel room”), with everyone (including producer Mike and Techie Sean) joining in.

Women's Draw Breakdown & New Picks (02:48–11:41)

Early Bracket Self-Evaluation

• Jon fared better in women’s predictions; Andy had some close calls but suffered bracket "heartbreak."
• Both hosts acknowledge how unpredictable the women’s field has become, with upsets and last-minute surges.
  • Quote – Andy: "I chose Rybakina to the final. Vondrousova had other thoughts on how that was going to go." (04:51)

Key Remaining Contenders

• Discussion centers on elite quarterfinalists: Sabalenka, Swiatek, Osaka, Krejcikova, Pegula, and the standout performance of Anisimova.
• Recognition of Czech women’s tennis strength: three out of eight quarterfinalists.
  • Quote – Jon: "Can we just pause and applaud Czech women, three of the eight from a country of that size? That's pretty impressive." (11:06)

Strategic Re-Picking

• Sabalenka vs. Vondrousova: Jon sticks with Sabalenka; Andy does too, citing form and “cowardly to change the pick if your favorite is still alive.”
  • Quote – Andy: "If your favorite is still in the draw, it's cowardly… you can do it, but…" (05:56)
• Pegula vs. Krejcikova: Jon pivots to Krejcikova, highlighting her clutch play and recent comeback win over Taylor Townsend.
  • Quote – Jon: "Krejcikova is so clutch. Once she sort of gets her teeth into a tournament, I think I need to go Krejcikova over Pegula." (07:13)
• Muchova vs. Osaka: Both hosts land on Naomi Osaka, emphasizing her dominating performance, especially over Coco Gauff.
  • Stat – Andy: "Osaka won 94% of first serve points and served 70-something percent." (08:42)
  • Quote – Andy: "I'm not going to choose against Naomi because she is so locked in." (09:19)
• Finals Forecast: Andy predicts a rematch of last year’s final: Swiatek vs. Sabalenka, again picking Swiatek. Jon stays loyal to his pre-tournament choice, also signaling confidence in the defending champion.

Discussion: Czech Women’s Tennis & National Trends (11:06–11:49)

• Both hosts praise the depth and consistency of Czech women’s tennis and briefly mention Italian and American tennis as well.

Men's Draw Reassessment & Analysis (13:37–24:48)

Bracket Post-Mortem

• Several picks fell victim to injury withdrawals (Draper, Zverev issues).
• Sinner vs. Musetti: Universally, both see Sinner as the heavy favorite due to his level and recent straight-sets dominance.

FAA & De Minaur

• FAA (Felix Auger-Aliassime) earns praise for a resurgence at just age 25, after knocking off Zverev and Rublev.
  • Quote – Jon: "For him to come back with very little momentum, beat Zverev... and then back that up by beating Rublev. What a nice tournament for Felix." (16:10)
• De Minaur is finally getting respect for his all-court aggression and not just labeled a “counter-puncher.”
  • Quote – Andy: "Anyone who says that Demon is just fast and he's a counterpuncher hasn’t watched him play. The guy is all over the net... great volleys." (16:33)
• Both lean toward De Minaur advancing, with respect for FAA’s firepower.

Djokovic vs. Fritz

• The only major flip: Andy switches from Fritz to Djokovic, citing their 0-10 head-to-head and Novak’s improving form.
  • Quote – Andy: "Novak is 10 and 0 against Taylor Fritz. Novak has found himself the last two. I'm, I have Novak, I'm flipping." (17:59)
  • Conversely, Jon sees it as Fritz’s time to finally get Djokovic.
  • Quote – Jon: "I think this is the match he gets him. First time on Ash for Taylor." (18:33)

Alcaraz vs. Sinner Finals Trajectory

• Both hosts have Sinner and Alcaraz reaching the final, with each leaning toward Sinner as champion.

Meta Bracket Banter

• Meta discussion about strategic picking and what previous picks mean for the inter-host rivalry.
  • Quote – Andy: "Does that mean that I win? If we have the same and I'm ahead now?" (20:22)
  • Jon jokes: "Did I just back myself into a corner? So he wins." (20:36)

Tournament Tech Quirk: "Let" Rule Dispute (21:00–24:02)

• Notable detail: There is no let-detection device on the net this year due to a technology dispute; chair umpires judge lets by ear, like the old days.

  • Quote – Jon: "There's nothing on the net to decide if it's a let or not... chair umpire is making these calls. This is like 1978." (21:13)
  • Discussion on whether tennis should do away with the service let entirely, as already seen in college/juniors.

• Andy’s Rant: Strong opinion that players should not be allowed to catch their toss and restart the serve:

  • Quote – Andy: "You should not be able to catch a toss ever. You should have to hit it or it’s a fault. The toss is a skill. Like, it's an actual trainable skill." (23:06)

Quick Odds Breakdown: FanDuel Live Odds (24:06–30:07)

Women’s Favorites

• Jessica Pegula: Realistic path depends on serve consistency.
  • Quote – Andy: "If her first serve percentage is up around 60%, she has a good shot in any match." (24:48)
• Naomi Osaka: Her winning record every time she goes deep in Slams is highlighted, with the sense her resurgence is both stats and eye-test based.
  • Quote – Andy: "Every time [Osaka] makes the quarters, she's won the tournament. She has four Grand Slam wins and this is her fifth quarterfinal." (25:54)

Men’s Field

• Sinner and Alcaraz are consensus favorites; FAA and De Minaur both long shots, but FAA has the “weapons” edge.
• Discussion on how difficult it is to win three matches in a row vs. Novak, Alcaraz, and Sinner.
  • Quote – Andy: "What are the odds that Fritz beats Novak, Alcaraz, and Sinner on the trot within five days, best of five?" (28:27)
• Alcaraz seen as slightly better current form than Sinner, but both are “playing well,” and matchups matter more than the “eyeball test.”

Memorable & Fun Moments

• Frequent, friendly roasting between Andy and Jon about their picks.
• High spirits in reflecting on pundit errors: “Where are we? Just be yourself. We just shorted Nvidia. We just picked the Cleveland Browns to win the Super Bowl.”
• The conversational, off-script hotel vibe; producer Mike and Techie Sean occasionally joining the banter.
• Andy’s final flourish on annoyances: catching tosses, serve clocks, and tennis traditions.

Key Timestamps

• Main Redraw Concept & Vibe: 01:00–02:48
• Women’s Draw Evaluation: 02:48–11:41
• Czech Tennis & National Trends: 11:06–11:49
• Men’s Draw Re-Pick: 13:37–24:48
• Let Technology/Rule Detour: 21:00–24:02
• Live Odds & Betting Insight: 24:06–30:07

Signature Quotes

• Andy Roddick: "You should not be able to catch a toss ever. The toss is a skill. Like, it's an actual trainable skill." (23:06)
• Jon Wertheim: "Krejcikova is so clutch. Once she sort of gets her teeth into a tournament, I think I need to go Krejcikova over Pegula." (07:13)
• On Osaka: "Every time she’s made the quarters, she’s won the tournament... when she goes deep in tournaments she becomes dangerous." (25:54)
• On De Minaur: "Anyone who says that Demon is just fast and he's a counterpuncher hasn't watched him play... great volleys." (16:33)

Wrap-Up

• The episode ends with tongue-in-cheek confusion over the show’s name (“Reserved” “Quick Serve”), jokes about their temporary recording setup, and an informal, humorous sign-off.

For Listeners

This episode is essential for anyone following the US Open, offering sharp analysis, real-time bracket updates, and plenty of entertaining tennis banter. Andy and Jon balance expertise with accessible humor, making sense of a wild Slam and why tennis predictions are always a moving target.