AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2026: Rybakina Defeats Sabalenka & Alcaraz vs Djokovic Preview

Summary

Podcast Summary: "AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2026: Rybakina Defeats Sabalenka & Alcaraz vs Djokovic Preview"

Podcast: Served with Andy Roddick
Air Date: January 31, 2026
Host: Andy Roddick with co-host (Mike)
Theme: A breakdown of Elena Rybakina's win over Aryna Sabalenka in the Australian Open final, and an in-depth preview of the highly-anticipated Alcaraz vs. Djokovic men's final.

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Rybakina's hard-fought victory over Sabalenka at the 2026 Australian Open, dissecting the nuances of both players’ games, the importance of serve, and the match's razor-thin margins. The hosts also preview the upcoming men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, with pointed tactical discussion, reflections on history and longevity, and some playful banter about their listener bracket competition.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rybakina vs. Sabalenka: A Serving Clinic

(00:54–13:00)

• Margin for Error at the Top:

  • Andy Roddick opens by noting how close matches are at the highest level: "If you're in the semis and finals every time, playing the best of that tournament and the best on earth, that's kind of what happens, right?"

• Match characterized by serve:

  • Only 3 breaks of serve—felt like a men’s match in terms of serve dominance ([01:30]).
  • Both are “the two best servers in the women’s game” and did what they do best: held serve repeatedly.
  • Breaking serve was at a premium.

• Rybakina's Return & Defense:

  • Not the fastest on tour but “really good at hitting in stride,” which makes her coverage seem faster ([02:30]).
  • Defense is “almost always cross court,” but the execution is so forceful “it doesn’t really matter if the person knows where it’s going.”

• Elite Serving:

  • "Serena is the best female server of all time... Rybakina is quickly, maybe top three or four ever, ever, EVER." – Andy Roddick ([03:55]).
  • Rybakina can hit all 4 spots (deuce/ad, wide/middle), with a big first serve and a heavy-kicking second.

• Second serve quality:

  • Megan (newsletter writer) shares a stat: Rybakina's ad-side kick serve bounces a foot higher than Sabalenka’s ([04:45]).
  • Roddick explains: "You either have a big, nasty kick... that creates this thing where it’s checking at you and then takes a turn."

• Contrast to the men's kick serve:

  • Compares Rybakina’s serve to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz: men use the kick differently (Novak jams the body; Carlos kicks higher and wider).

• How kick serves disrupt rhythm:

  • Reference to Jess Pegula – "*She was like, 'I just can’t get a good hit on it. I feel like I’m searching for it.'" ([07:15]).
  • The varying pace between Rybakina's first and second serve makes it hard for returners to settle into rhythm.

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Bracket Banter and Listener Shoutouts

(08:00–09:50)

• Andy and Co-host joke about the bracket competition in their listener group and tease "Teddy Bear," the winner, for their perfect picks.
• Andy jokes: "Is this what Federer feels like? ...I lost the final, but then won the big prize." ([08:54]).
• Lighthearted and self-deprecating: "This is the opposite of your entire professional existence." – Co-host ([08:49]).

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Rybakina in the Context of the WTA's Elite

(09:51–15:39)

• The hosts recall their year-end 2025 analysis, placing Rybakina among the no-doubt top tier.

• "You said that she was comparative to, like, the no-brainer number one overall pick... She would win a Slam this year. We did not have to wait very long." ([11:04])

• Consistency and Temperament:

  • Now, questions whether Rybakina could win another Slam this year: "We very well could."
  • Highlights her capacity to beat top players—"She has ten consecutive wins over top 10." ([13:15])

• Coach Relationship:

  • Notes Rybakina’s past coaching changes; her best tennis is “when Vukov is present” ([12:03]).
  • Acknowledges potential drama, but "results are there."

• Her understated champion aura:

  • Andy: "I've never seen someone more understated when winning a major. If I would have ever won my second major… you would have seen 17 cartwheels." ([13:27])
  • "She's icy... It's like scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl and just handing the ball to the ref." ([13:33–13:47])

• What’s next for Rybakina:

  • "Are we building to… five, six-time major winner? I don't think that's crazy… She gives Sabalenka problems because she can out-Sabalenka Sabalenka." ([14:37])
  • Consistency is key: Rybakina could vie for world #1 if she stays injury-free.

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The Challenge of Aryna Sabalenka & Margins of Victory

(15:41–18:46)

• Rybakina set to rise to #3, but it’s hard to make a dent with Sabalenka and Swiatek as consistent as they are.

• Stat: Rybakina is 9–6 vs. world #1s (best record since WTA rankings began, min. 5 matches), though Andy points out the stat is a bit misleading since many old #1s were #1 for too long for it to register for them ([16:08–16:52]).

• Sabalenka “could have eight slams”; many of her defeats have hinged on just a handful of points ([17:42]).

• Sabalenka’s press conference: "I have regrets... When you lead 3–0 and then in a few seconds it was 3–4 and I was down with a break. It got away quick, very fast… but you know, today I'm the loser, maybe tomorrow I'm a winner." – Sabalenka, quoted ([18:01])

• Andy advocates acknowledging athletes' emotional growth: "Criticize all you want… also allow for progress when they've learned from those mistakes." ([18:23])

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Alcaraz vs. Djokovic: Breaking Down the Final

(19:31–29:52)

Cramping, Recovery, and Tactics

(19:31–22:51)

• Discussion opens with uncertainty over Alcaraz’s physical status (cramps vs. injury – "You don't take pickle juice for an adductor…"), and what recovery factors will matter most ([20:41]).
• "Pickle juice is great. You don't take it if your elbow hurts, you don't take it if you have a groin pull… you take it very, very specifically to help overcome cramps." – Andy ([21:52])
• Noted that Carlos has a 6–7 hour head start on recovery compared to Novak, “a significant advantage if we’re assuming like cramps.” ([22:51])
• The final won’t be played in heat, removing attrition as a primary factor.

Matchup Analysis

(22:51–29:52)

• Key tactical elements:
  • Alcaraz has the ability to use the kick serve "especially on the ad side to Novak," extending the court further than Sinner could ([23:14]).
  • The drop shot is another X-factor—Alcaraz's is the best in the sport and will force Novak not just side-to-side, but forward and back, a huge test for Djokovic’s legs at 38.
  • "Carlos brings in, I need to cover side to side AND forward both ways."
• Roddick’s pick: Favors Alcaraz if his injury isn’t severe: "You never bet against Novak… I think Carlos wins this match." ([24:45])
• The importance of Novak’s clutch instincts in tiebreaks and tight moments, but notes, "I don’t know that Carlos is going to go 2 for 18 on break points converted, which is the single biggest stat from that Sinner/Novak match." ([25:30])
• First serve percentage for Alcaraz will be pivotal; expects Novak to be as consistent as ever with his serving ([29:10]).
• Historical implications:
  • Djokovic would be adding to his record tally (“adding to 24 slams… it’s absurd”) ([27:50]).
  • Alcaraz could become the youngest to complete the career Grand Slam. "To be the youngest to have ever won all four Slams … Imagine doing something better than everyone, these champions we've seen—it's crazy."

Notable banter:

• The hosts reflect on Djokovic’s longevity, comparing it to other sports icons. "Who's the king of longevity? Is it Lebron? Is it Brady? Messi?" ([30:23])
• "Maybe the person who has an eleven and a half month season." – Andy, on Djokovic's endless competitive drive.

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Memorable Quotes

• On Rybakina’s Serve:
  • "Serena is the best female server of all time, and I think Rybakina is quickly, maybe top three or four ever, ever, ever." – Andy Roddick ([03:55])
• On Big Match Margins:
  • "These matches with when people are playing so well are just won at the tiniest of margins." – Andy ([01:00])
• On Rybakina’s Calm:
  • "She’s icy… Like scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl and just handing the ball to the ref." ([13:33])
• On Career Momentum:
  • "Are we building to… five, six-time major winner? I don’t think that’s crazy." ([14:37])
• On Athlete Growth:
  • "Criticize all you want… also allow for progress when they’ve learned from those mistakes." ([18:23])
• On Alcaraz-Djokovic:
  • "You never bet against Novak... I think Carlos wins this match." ([24:45])
  • "To be the youngest to have ever won all four Slams … It's crazy. Looney Tunes." ([28:10])

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Notable Timestamps

• 00:54: Opening thoughts on the Rybakina–Sabalenka final
• 03:55: Roddick on Rybakina among the best servers ever
• 07:15: Jess Pegula quote on struggling with Rybakina’s kick serve
• 13:15: Streak: Rybakina’s 10 straight wins over top 10 players
• 18:01: Sabalenka’s candid press conference after the loss
• 22:51: Start of Alcaraz vs. Djokovic tactical preview
• 24:45: Roddick’s match pick: "I think Carlos wins this match."
• 27:50: Historical significance of the men’s final
• 30:23: Comparing sports legends’ longevity

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Tone & Style

The discussion is sharp, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable, filled with playful ribbing and self-deprecating humor, especially as Andy Roddick reflects on his own career and pokes fun at the listener bracket. The hosts tackle strategy and stats with authority, balancing technical tennis insight with accessible analogies and asides.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode delivers a well-rounded breakdown of the women's final, incisive commentary on the significance and rarity of elite-level serving in the women's game, and an anticipatory, nuanced preview of Djokovic vs. Alcaraz. It's perfect for fans who value tactical analysis intermixed with light pod banter and historical context in the tennis world.

Transcript

[Mike]

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[Mike]

Foreign. Welcome to Quick Serve Brought to you by ServiceNow Subscribe Congrats to Elena Rybakina went out and and earned a victory. Hard fought. Like I I it's, it's strange because Sabalenka people are going to say oh, she's losing tight matches and like Sinner lost a tight match. And like my first thought is like yeah, if you play, if you're in the semis of finals every time playing the best of that tournament and the best on earth all of the time, that's kind of what happens, right? Like Sabalenka Rabakina went out and just won this a couple of things that stood out. Only three breaks of serve. Like there's you know, or it just, it felt like breaking was at such a pre. It felt like almost like a guy's match a little bit right like where someone got a break and then they were able to hold on the whole time. It wasn't as if every service game was at like 30 all you know, best two servers in the game doing what holding serve a bunch. You know. So it was, it was very interesting I I thought Sabalenka it's tough to to criticize at all these matches with when people are playing so well are just one at the tiniest of margins and like if we're maybe smothered a couple forehands in the, in the, in the third set I think that's the side that maybe goes a little bit more than the other. But what I was impressed with with Bacchana as well as just she's not the fastest person on on the planet but remember we talked about like the range and being able to hit in stride, she's really good at that. So it probably makes her coverage feel faster than her actual foot speed. So even if you get her to the corner, she kind of runs through the shot and is able to inject pace. Now, when she plays defense, it's pretty much always cross court, and I thought Sabalenko would kind of pick on that a little bit, but when you're doing it with such force, it doesn't really matter if the person knows where it's going. If you're executing with pace, right, not just, like, different because she goes cross and creates more angle, but the same with Novak. It's. It's like down through the court on tv. It looks like you should be able to go after it, and in reality, it's not one that you kind of choose to fire on. I'm going to say this. I don't want to be hyperbolic, and I guard against it, and I think it's a legitimate point. Serena is the best female server of all time, and I don't know that you would find anyone with an IQ bigger than their waist size who. Who disagrees with that. And I think Rebakka is quickly, maybe top three or four ever, ever, ever. Yeah. Okay, so a couple things. The ability to hit all four spots on. On your serve, right? So deuce wide middle, add wide middle. And also she gets a lot of kick on her second serve, right? So it's not as if it's a big first serve. And then once you get a second serve, you're. You're eating or you're cooking, right? Like that. Like Lindsay. And she would tell you this. Lindsey had a great serve, but loved to hit the slice, right? Like, loved repeatedly. And I think Rebakkina maybe hits the corners a little bit easier and has a kick a little bit more. Yeah, I. I think so. There.

[Mike's Co-host]

There was a graphic on tv. According to Megan our. Our newsletter writer, she said that robot second serve kick in the ad side bounces a full foot higher than Sabalinka's, and she hits it a little wider.

[Mike]

Yeah, I. I think. What does that mean? It means I. I think she has more of a natural kick serve. Like, you either have a big, nasty kick where you pronate outwards, right? And that creates this thing where it's checking at you, and then it takes a turn, right? So you have to time it. Sabalenka hits a little bit of a kick, but her second serve, not dissimilar to, like, Novak. Like, if you did that stat Today with Alcaraz and Novak, Alcaraz would be two feet higher, but. Okay, but that's not the. That's not the metric that matters because Novak uses his kick as, like, a change up to the one where he runs 108, 109into the body on the second. So Novak basically tries to turn you into a T Rex on. On the second server turn.

[Mike's Co-host]

He's trying to jam you up in the inside.

[Mike]

Correct. And it's running into you and a little bit quicker. Right. Whereas Carlos wants it. It's going to be 10, 12 miles an hour slower, but it hits and goes away from you. So the challenge is instead of Novak returning off of Novak or Sabalenko, where you're kind of like pinching the inside and then moving against it. Carlos and Robakina want to extend the court, especially on the AD side. So it's a kick away to where you're up and away out of the strike zone.

[Mike's Co-host]

Right now, Andy has his hands over his shoulders.

[Mike]

Yeah. So for those listening, it's like, you know, I have my T Rex arms when I'm returning Novak most of the time because he's running it in on the body, or I'm slightly extended, but it's waist level. And Carlos slash Rybakina. My hands would be up above my shoulder, and I'd kind of be reaching because that little. The kick means it's coming at you, and then it kicks sideways. Right. So it's different styles of serve. So it's not as if. It's not as if Rebakkan and Sabalenka are trying to accomplish the same thing on a second serve based on the strengths of their second serve. Right. So that's not surprising to me at all. Like, I maybe even thought it would be more. And if you run that same stat back, it'll be outsized for Carlos tomorrow. As far as just height differential on the kick, it just means what they do well on a second serve is. Is different kicks. Kick serves are. Are more prominent on the men's side. You see it way more with the racket work and the kind of the pronation outwards. Rybakina has an elite kick serve. Like, it. It causes problem. You remember during the Jess Pugula match, Pegula went over to Mark Merklin, her coach, and was like, I just can't get a good hit on it. I feel like I'm searching for it.

[Mike's Co-host]

Right.

[Mike]

So kick doesn't come in where you can. Like, it doesn't sizzle into where you just Time it and pull, and then you're into it. It. Like Marty used to do it to me, and just. You drive me crazy. He did it, like, 82 miles an hour, and it would kick. But when I got up there, you all of a sudden had to create all of your own pace. Right. As opposed to kind of using the pace of a serve. And I think that's what we're Bakken. It does well in the offset with this, like, bomb first serve and then this kick second serve means that you're not really getting in much of a rhythm on. On your returns because the pacing is. Is. Is very different. So I assume, Mike, that that means that JW won our bracket. Are congratulations in order?

[Mike's Co-host]

I think congratulations are not in order.

[Mike]

Whoa. But he picked Rabbakano to win the tournament.

[Mike's Co-host]

I know. And, my friend, you beat the group. You have finished with 1,752 points in the women's bracket. JW came out with 16, 17. We might need to run back the scores. We might need to check with bracket. Baron, this doesn't seem right.

[Mike]

It seems great. I mean, I get it.

[Mike's Co-host]

The.

[Mike]

The bonus points and everything you did. I mean, let's not. Let's not research this result too hard.

[Mike's Co-host]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, we don't. We don't need to call in the.

[Mike]

This is like, jw, this is amazing. So is this. So this is like the opposite of my entire life. So I lost the final, but then won the big prize.

[Mike's Co-host]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. This is it. This is the opposite of your entire professional existence.

[Mike]

Is this what Federer feels like? Oh, man. Jw, you fought your heart out. You really played great. I have a lot of respect for you and what you brought to the table this week. I was able just to kind of get the win in the end just because I'm a little bit better. I don't know. Is that what you do? Is this.

[Mike's Co-host]

He's not here.

[Mike]

What do I do with my hands?

[Mike's Co-host]

He's not here to give his loser speech, which would be customary for tennis.

[Mike]

Gosh, I can't wait for the recap show.

[Mike's Co-host]

I can't wait for the recap to Teddy Bear. That's no joke. Teddy Bear, 2043 points, is the big winner in the WTA bracket.

[Mike]

Sweet. And I'm assuming Teddy Bear had Rebakina.

[Mike's Co-host]

Let me click in there. Teddy Bear had Rebakano over Sabalenka. That is pretty good.

[Mike]

That's pretty good.

[Mike's Co-host]

Teddy Bear kind of crushed. I mean, we'll go through some of these brackets later, but Teddy bear had every, I believe had all the picks correct. Round of 16 in.

[Mike]

Come on.

[Mike's Co-host]

That's what it looks like.

[Mike]

That's pretty fun. I like that Teddy Bear should we should, we should get, we should get Strat. We should have a bracket quick serve where we discuss their strategies from the fans and how they, how they march through the the brackets. So Mike, I, I, I remember us doing the recap show at the end of 2025, the WTA recap special where we ripped through the top 20. I think we, yeah, we went through every player kind of in the top 20. We spent some time on Robakina. I'd like to instead of just regurgitating and repeating myself here. We should put a from the vault. By the way, people are kind of into the from the vaults. Like the old footage that we kind of, it's time relevant now we pull one out about Novak yesterday which I, you know is fun. It was from like our fifth show where you and I were doing it from like a closet.

[Mike's Co-host]

It was ages ago and somehow how Novak is still playing in semis. It was before he was just.

[Mike]

My favorite is on the front. My favorite is from the vault. Like I don't think everyone realizes that. It's footage from two years ago where we're just describing what kind of makes him so effective. Like you idiot. He was. That's not even what was happening. I'm like it was from two years ago.

[Mike's Co-host]

Can I, can I? Yeah. So you, you said that Rebakina, you know, just a couple of weeks ago. A few weeks ago feels like a lifetime ago. You said that she was comparative to like the no brainer number one overall pick. Right. Like just based on physicality, bake on based on skill set.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Mike's Co-host]

You said that she would win a slam this year. We did not have to wait very long.

[Mike]

No.

[Mike's Co-host]

Now my question to you is, are we going to see a second one in her future this year?

[Mike]

We very well could. I mean I think I, I, I guess my point was the conversation and rightfully so based on the last three years, you know, since maybe robbacking a one Wimbledon in 2022 and there's been a lot of off court stuff and by the way like I, I think it needs saying and we'll get back to this point but like old coach comes back in after being kind of jettisoned comes back in and she wins again. Now I don't know the dynamics of the interpersonal relationship. What I do know is that her best tennis has been played when, when, when Vukov is present. It seems like, it seems like there has been a change in conversation and the stylings of those conversations. So I'm happy to allow for, you know, I'm not happy to allow. That's self important. I'm, I'm, I'm happy for growth in a relationship and I hope that's settled and, and, and okay. You know, certainly you can't argue with the results that, that, that they've had together. I mean, she's just playing better when he's around and you can have opinions about a million other things and I'm sure you will. I'm not saying everything's perfect. I'm saying the results are there when he is around as her, her coach. Many layers of which we're not going to get to in a, in a, in a recap episode. But yeah, Rybakina, it's based on the last three years. The conversation is, you know, Saba Linkish, Vatek, most consistent, you know, graded multiple slams. Coco in that conversation with two slams. And my point was simply like I view Rabakina when healthy and settled in that group, like easily.

[Mike's Co-host]

She has 10 consecutive wins over top 10.

[Mike]

Yeah, I mean, but, but like she's not scared to play the big players. Right. She has the temperament to go deep in majors. Like, I've never seen someone more understated when winning a major. If I would have ever won my second major, I, I would have like you would have seen, you would have seen 17 cartwheels.

[Mike's Co-host]

She's icy.

[Mike]

I kind of respect it. It's like, I dig it. It's like scoring a touchdown in the NFL and just handing the ball to the ref with no reaction. It's kind of cold.

[Mike's Co-host]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Like in a, kind of a bad.

[Mike's Co-host]

But like it's the game winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. Yeah.

[Mike]

And you're just like, thanks. You just, you just go like, hey, thanks. You just go full Barry Sanders. It's, it's pretty sweet. But I, I view her in that as far as talent, as far as game, as far as when you're analyzing matchups, if she's in a good place, if she's healthy, she's, I mean, it was a little bit more of a reach two months ago than it was the day she wins a slam. But she's in that group. Like, yeah. And you can argue like she's the favorite in those matchups, you know, a decent amount of the time. You know, she gives Sabalenka problems because she can like out Sabalenka. Sabalenka she can serve huge. She can go through the court right now Sabalenka does it more consistently as of now. Now it seems like robot is building that consistency with the year end finals and now in Australia. Is this a moment where she becomes like a runaway freight. Freight train and has like one of Those runs for 18 months that, that we've seen kind of throughout history. She's capable. This is not like a, a oh, we'll see what happens. This is a. Oh are we building to. Is this five, six time major winner? I don't think that's crazy. You know I think the Frenches are going to be her least favorite service. She still can play on it. She's you know, almost beaten. She did well in Rome and like but like she's already won Wimbledon. Are we. Some people don't like playing in New York. I don't think she's had her best results in New York yet but she knows how to play on hard. I don't know about the rest of it but clearly. Yeah, I mean she, I mean she, she lost a tight Aussie Open final before. Like this isn't an outlier of a result. This isn't like a. They got the one. Yes. Celebrate. This is like oh, this might turn it like she, she's going to be in the running for number one in the world this year also. You can mark this.

[Mike's Co-host]

Yeah. She'll be number three now come.

[Mike]

Yeah but she, she, they IGA and Sabalenka even with all of Coco's success have kind of had that like locked. Right. Like Sabalenko went wire to wire last year and she's so consistent. It's really hard to make a dent in, in her progress when she's making semis or finals every single week. And I don't say this lightly. I think Robakina, if she plays, if she plays 20 tournaments and is generally healthy, she's going to be in the conversation for number one in the world there.

[Mike's Co-host]

I'm just, I love stats like this. I hate to keep hitting you with stats but she. Now I'm scrolling through ESPN's kind of updates here and it says Rebakina now improves to nine and six in her career against WTA number ones, which is the best record by any woman since rankings were introduced in 1975. Is that true with a minimum of five matches?

[Mike]

Well that, that's a little deceiving. Yeah because it like all the years Serena was number one, she doesn't get in that. It's kind of a Little bit of a penalty for being number one. So that's a little bit. It's a, that's a little.

[Mike's Co-host]

It says it proves 2, 9 and 6.

[Mike]

I know, I know. But like also it's like I'm like, my mind automatically goes Serena, like Stevie. Like I'm like, oh, they were always number one.

[Mike's Co-host]

They were always number one.

[Mike]

Correct. Yeah. So, yeah, awesome stat. And it proves the point of Rabakina is like on the level. Right. It's not like this isn't a huge upset to me, you know, based on a one to one matchup. Now over the next three months, is Robotic going to lose third round where Sabalenka goes? That's what history has shown us so far. Now does that change? I think that's the interesting conversation. You know, is she going to go from Grand Slam winner to contender for number one? Right. I don't think this result shocks anyone. I really don't. You know, you, you, you take her in the. Going in the tournaments like Wotek Sabalenka. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I, I think Sabalenka is the most consistent, the most reliable and also like, by the way, can we check quickly about Sabalenka? She's lost some. Like, really, when, when she loses, she doesn't get like, it's always competitive. She has, you know, X. She could have eight slams. If you look at the scores in. It would be, it would be a curious exercise if you went, okay, if over the course of the last five years, if nine points were different, would she have eight slams?

[Mike's Co-host]

I mean it's. She was up 30 in the third. Right. And then in a blink she even said she was like. It felt like here she said this in the press conference. She said, I have regrets, you know, when you lead three. Oh, and then it felt like in a few seconds it was three, four and I was down with a break. It got away quick, very fast. And she's just like great tennis from her, you know, maybe not smart B, but you know, today I'm the loser. Maybe tomorrow I'm a winner.

[Mike]

Hey. And if we're allowing for, for progress. Arena post match in arena press from maybe previous times that she's lost big matches. Criticize all you want when people make mistakes also allow for progress when they've learned from those mistakes. Right? Like that. Is that, is that fair?

[Mike's Co-host]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Don't forget. But just acknowledge like progress in real time in a heartbreaking moment. Congrats to Elena Rubak. Let's run that back. That from the vault segment. Because I think people are kind of at least responding to those a little bit. There's some clip somewhere, if I remember correctly, guys, so we'll get that out. I don't think it's super long, but from a couple months ago kind of previewing 2026, and I think it came to fruition pretty quickly. I would also like to apologize or not apologize. Just send my. My sympathies to JW for not winning.

[Mike's Co-host]

I. I thought you were going to hit us with a Conor McGregor. I'd like to apologize to absolutely nobody.

[Mike]

No, I would hit you with the Andrea. I'd like to thank me, but. All right, so I didn't. I didn't. I didn't want to preview Alcaraz and Novak yesterday too quickly on the heels of. Of that magic day like that. Those. Those just Titanic battles that they had. I guess we're at that point. I do want to say right up front, the caveat being I don't know what the situation is with the cramp doctor. I don't know, like, recovery times for, like, there's a lot that we won't know and that we're not going to get told today. There is no reason for any. Either of these guys to give an update. If they give an update to us, they're giving an update to each other. There's no reason for that to happen. Right. And so it also, like, we're not great at nuance. Like, could he have an adductor and then have cramps also? Yep, that. That could be. My simple point was there were cramps involved and people like, no, you, You. How dare you. He. I'm like, okay, you don't take pickle juice for. For an adductor. Sorry, sorry. You don't. No. Pickle juice, Pickle juice. Hit him with a clip. That's a good one.

[Mike's Co-host]

Pickle juice, pickle juice, pickle juice.

[Mike]

Okay, so let's assume that we don't know how the recovery is going, or we have to assume that a younger body is going to recover better than an older body if the adductor is under control, which it seemed like by the end. If you have a tear in your groin, it doesn't get better. Right. So I think there's a. Probably some discomfort in the adductor. This is my best guess. I'm not a doctor. This is just purely from the sequence of events and my best guess. Right. So I don't know. I'm guessing, educated guess maybe from having been in the rooms. Right. The adductor doesn't get better over time if it's like torn or there's a major injury trauma situation. Right. It seemed like most of the stuff he was dealing was with heat conditions and cramping. Right. Pickle juice was, was there. Which means that he was either having something or protecting yet something he was feeling. Okay. Pickle juice is great. You don't take it. If your elbow hurts, you don't take it. If you have a groin pole, it doesn't do anything like that. You take it very, very, very, very, very specifically to help over overcome cramps in a, in a quicker way. Right?

[Mike's Co-host]

Yeah. I mean we saw Medi do it earlier in the tournament too. Like he was like midpoint, he came over and grabbed a pickle juice from his, from his coach's box. Right.

[Mike]

What did he, what did he grab?

[Mike's Co-host]

Pico juice. But that's. It's it correct if I'm wrong. Right. It's that little like kind of. It's a small, it looks like a five hour energy shot that these guys.

[Mike]

Yeah. And then there's different, there's different cramp products and way. There's. In the last three or four years there's been like players been using it way more. Like you rarely saw it. It wasn't available in like an organized fashion. It was like if someone was doing it and we were on tour, they were like going to the grocery store and bringing out one of those booty jars. You know, one of those.

[Mike's Co-host]

They're just pulling all the pickles out.

[Mike]

All right, so let's assume they're both going to be struggling a little bit. Carlos had a six or seven hour head start on recovery, which if you think about it in like a 48 hour sequence and way less than that for Novak. That's a, that's a big chunk of that. Right. Six hours on 40, like that's a significant advantage for Carlos if, if we're assuming like cramps. If you have two full days, you can kind of manage that. I think like the wear and tear from the matches, I probably give a little bit more credit to that. We're not going to be dealing with, with heat. Right. This isn't going to be some scorcher thing where it's like, it's, it's a battle of attrition in the third set. So that will be different. I like Carlos in the matchup. I think a couple of things that issues that Carlos presents that maybe Yannick didn't is the ability to extend the court, especially on the AD side to Novak with That second serve that we were talking about earlier, he's going to be able to extend the court maybe 2, 3ft more on that ad side than, than even a center who has a really good serve. But not like that nasty kick that like basically buys position from Novak. And also we say this ad nauseam, but when Novak's playing center and he gets the ball down and through the court, he's not having to worry. His defense is like, okay, I'm back. I need to COVID side to side. Carlos brings in, I need to COVID side to side and forward both ways. And that drop can, can be hit behind Novak, right? So if he has a thing here and then Novak's running back to center, he can go. That's not. Center's improved on it big time, right. And he's brought that, that, that drop shot in. It's still. Nobody has the drop shot that Carlos does. If your body is tired and you're bringing in some scar tissue, which at 38 years old, I don't know how you don't bring in some, some, you know, some leftovers from, from that match the other day against that masterpiece against, against Sinner, especially with that drop shot in the slices and the way that the variety of which he can kind of affect Novak's movement a little bit. And even if it's a little bit tired. Listen, you never bet against Novak. I don't think it would be surprising. I know he beat center. I think Carlos wins this match. And again we talked about like Novak is the master at managing a match and being eyes wide open as far as what he can do and what he can't, but having to manage that and kind of make those trade offs narrow the margins, right? Like, I don't know that Carlos is going to go 2 for 18 on break points converted, which is the single biggest stat from that center Novak match. On top of his genius and mastery of managing it, 2 for 18, you know, 0 for 8. I think in the fifth set, that's not something you can count on. It's impressive when you can fight it off. In retrospect that that's not something that we can predict as like a normal thing moving forward. Right? So I like Carlos in this match. Assuming that his adductor is not like a tear or something. That is crazy that I don't see or know, you know, if he, you know, if you get out there and in the first set it's obvious he can't move, then, you know, we're guessing on the status of that we'll know.

[Mike's Co-host]

That kind of test that early on. I mean, they're five and four and they're head to head overall. You know, I mean, Carlos bested him in the semis in 2025, but Novak beat him here and Australia in the quarters last year. I mean, it's, it is still fairly close given the, the age gap. But do you think Novak will press that potential injury and test it early on?

[Mike]

Yes. Well, I don't. I mean, you test it, you're going to have to make a move anyways. I mean, not testing it would be like I'm going to hit it to him like that does. You just can't do it. I think he's going to mix in a bunch of serve and volley. Yeah, I think you can't drop shot. You can't drop shot someone when they're already at net, you know, simply. I think he's going to do, you know, I think he's going to mix up his return position. I think he's going to constantly kind of make. He's going to out Carlos. Carlos. I think he's going to make him kind of think about what's coming next. I think he's going to run that second serve in on the body. I'm curious if, you know, Carlos wants to slide and take that forehand or take that backhand return on the deuce side. We'll see. You know, Novak's gonna fight. He needs this thing to stay close, right? He need like he was able to kind of keep sinner. He needs to be able to pull Carlos into those, like very tense moments in the match. Like he has to. You know, if you tell me there's a scoreline of 3, 3 and 4, I think that's Carlos. If you tell me it's going to end up and it's six, seven, six in the fourth or six, four in the fifth. And I'm like, I don't know. Well, let's see. It's just absurd, but like also the significance of history in this match can't be understated. Novak adding to 24 slams. Like, imagine having a conversation. Well, you guys weren't. But like 20 years ago, if you were like, if someone's adding to 24 slams, you'd be like, okay, you're right, dude, it's absurd. And then Carlos, obviously think of the Giants we've had in the game ever, all time, but then specifically recently, to be the youngest to have ever won all four Slams. Like, imagine doing something better than everyone, these champions we've seen it's, it's crazy. Looting tunes and then like, you look at Carlos, it's like, okay, like if he somehow gets this through this one, like, how's he not the favorite at the front? Like, it's just, it's, it's pretty fun to watch. I'm, I'm gonna be excited for the cat and mouse. I think that Novak, he was opening up the shoulders big time on, on his forehand and it was landing him like his hit rate when he was being aggressive and ramping up the speed on his forehand was crazy consistent against center. I. He has to do that again. Is his hit rate going to be the same as like, almost perfect? It's a big ask. It's a big ask. The ball comes through a little bit differently. So we'll see. That's going to be the two things is like can he establish that forehand? Can he bully Carlos with that forehand? Can he mix it up enough? Know if Carlos gets in the, the, the groove where he's not really missing any returns, I think it's going to be tough and first serve percentage for Carlos. Big, big, big. It's not going to be 75% like a Yannick, I don't think, but that's going to be a big stat as well. I expect Novak to be pretty consistent with his serving. That's it guys. You got, you got any, you got any other brain busters?

[Mike's Co-host]

I do have something that like blew my mind when I was looking something up. Is that Carlos Alcaraz, you know, was born in 2003. Novak Djokovic made his pro DA or turned pro in 2003. He won his first title in challenger title in May of 2004.

[Mike]

He won a challenger in 04.

[Mike's Co-host]

The same month that Carlos Al has turned one years old.

[Mike]

Yeah, you sent me a thing.

[Mike's Co-host]

I'm just saying.

[Mike]

You sent me a thing yesterday on our group chat. It was like, who's the king of longevity? Is it like Lebron? Is it Brady? Is it? Yeah, you know, but also like Messi. I mean it's just, it's crazy who like what these athletes are doing. But I also hate the premise of the question because it's like who's the king of this? It's like, well, they're both really great at it. I don't know.

[Mike's Co-host]

I mean it's just crazy.

[Mike]

I don't know. Maybe the person who has an eleven and a half month season. Thank you for watching Quick serve presented by ServiceNow. We will see you tomorrow. Happy watching.