Served with Andy Roddick

Episode: Best Backhands Ever, Shelton & Muchová Wins, & More
Date: February 17, 2026
Host: Andy Roddick (notably, Roddick is referenced but does not speak extensively in this transcript; much of the actual on-air hosting appears to be by Mike Bryan, James Blake, and Marty Fish, with guests including Chris Eubanks)
Featured Guests: Mike Bryan, James Blake, Marty Fish, Chris Eubanks

Episode Overview

This episode of Served with Andy Roddick dives deep into several major recent tennis storylines, then segues into an expert, lively debate on the best backhands in the history of men's tennis. The crew—joined by Chris Eubanks—analyzes player performance, career milestones, and technical elements with trademark insight and banter. Before launching into their signature "Best Of" segment, they cover Ben Shelton's breakthrough, Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur’s recent (and synchronistic) wins, the controversy over player withdrawals in Dubai, and Karolína Muchová’s return to title-winning form. The tone throughout is sharp, irreverent, and full of under-the-hood tennis wisdom, making it compelling even for those not deeply embedded in the sport.

Tournament Recaps and Storylines

Ben Shelton’s Gritty Run

• [01:11] Mike Bryan highlights Ben Shelton’s recent title, specifically praising his ability to grind through tough, three-set matches:

  “I like winning six in the third and then I like following up the next day, winning five in the third. ... I just like the way he was managing through. I don’t think he had his best stuff all week. And when you’re winning five hundreds without your best stuff, I view that as a lot of progress.”

• Stat of the Day
  • Marty Fish shares via Megan from their newsletter that Shelton is the first American male since Andy Roddick to win more than two career titles above the 250 level ([02:37]).
  • The group jokes about John Isner's track record compared to Shelton's, highlighting that Isner mostly won 250s at Atlanta and Newport ([02:55]).
• Match Grit: Shelton “competed, he’s winning... and it's not as if he had his best stuff where he was winning three and three all week. That was a lunch pail week, which, you know, winning a 500 with a ham sandwich is... a lot of progress.” — Mike Bryan ([04:16]).

Boulter & De Minaur – Couples That Win Together...

• [04:36] Marty Fish details the sweet, ongoing pattern where Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur win titles the same week.
  • In 2024, it's happened three times out of Boulter’s four career titles.
  • Boulter jokes on X, saying, “he can’t just let me have a week,” and De Minaur replies, “I love you, babe.” ([05:08])
• The group finds it endearing and, with tongue-in-cheek, angsts over not being invited to their wedding ([05:35]).

Critique of Dubai Withdrawals – Iga Świątek, Aryna Sabalenka, and Tournament Politics

• [07:30] With both Iga Świątek and Aryna Sabalenka pulling out of Dubai, Mike Bryan launches into a sharp critique of the tournament director’s threat to deduct ranking points:

  “My favorite is... they're independent contractors, but if they choose not to play this week, then we’re gonna deduct them ranking points. Make it make sense to me.”

• Bryan and Fish question the logic of docking points for players prioritizing their wellbeing, skewering the tournament’s motives:

  “You’re mad at them because they might play like an exhibition in November and you’re somehow making that part of their decision in February.” — Mike Bryan ([10:28])

• Coco Gauff also chimed in support, saying ranking points shouldn't be deducted—players already have zero-points counted for skipping mandatory events ([11:09]).

Muchová Wins at Last

• [11:43] Marty Fish spotlights Karolína Muchová's second career title, her first in seven years—a shock given her eye-testing talent:

  “She may be the best player I’ve ever seen that’s won two titles. ... When I watch her play, I’m like, this is a really, really good player.” — Mike Bryan ([12:02])

• The team gives props to both Muchová and her final opponent, noting the consistency and level of recent women’s tennis ([12:21]).

Roger Federer: Hall of Fame (Sold Out Instantly)

• [12:50] The group is mock-astonished that Roger Federer’s upcoming Hall of Fame induction sold out in two minutes:

  “The Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Roger Federer sold out in two minutes.” — Marty Fish
  “People like him? Can’t… I can’t believe it.” — Mike Bryan and James Blake ([12:57])

• The hosts discuss the event logistics, still awed by Federer’s drawing power ([13:41]).

Best Backhands in Tennis History

[14:40] Feature Segment (start): Chris Eubanks joins the in-depth, player-by-player breakdown of the best backhands in tour history. The conversation is split between pre- and post-2012 eras.

Criteria and Structure

• James Blake: Pre-2012 experts
• Chris Eubanks: Post-2012 focus, but with overlap

“I’m glad I didn’t have to whittle this down and actually rank them… there are a lot of really cool and good backhands.” — James Blake ([15:26])

Pre-2012 Standouts (James Blake’s List)

Jimmy Connors

• Technically flawless, “straight back, straight through—nothing could possibly go wrong with the shot.”
• Anecdote about Connors training with decades-old equipment and still dominating with backhand precision ([16:36]).
• Connors compared to Cam Norrie for mechanics ([17:42]).

Yevgeny Kafelnikov

• “First one I saw” who could consistently attack with the left hand, worked magic off both wings; calls for Hall of Fame induction ([18:23]).
• Underrated as a singles-doubles #1 who could win both at a major ([18:33]).

Marat Safin

• Praised as a powerful, smooth-moving big man with “a backhand that was a joke” ([20:23]).
• Famous for outgunning Federer off the backhand to win the 2005 Australian Open semifinal ([20:27]).

John McEnroe

• Not conventionally powerful, but a master of variety, racket control, and tactical use—“racket control was a joke… leaning left and play it off right short” ([21:04]).

Leighton Hewitt

• The “best at the basics,” exceptionally difficult to attack on the backhand side, expert at neutralizing and returning ([23:33]–[27:42]).
• Early innovator in using the lob as a weapon.
• “Master of ball flight.” — James Blake ([27:14])

Andy Murray

• The “differentiator where he’s on the short list… is full extension” and genius at generating neutral or defensive shots from full stretch ([29:02]–[30:39]).
• “He can float it… three feet from the baseline, but if he knows you’re coming in, he’ll angle one right at the toes.” — Chris Eubanks ([31:03])
• Praised for best two-handed slice from a non-one-hander ([32:21]).

Other Notables

• Edberg: Master one-hander, technically sound, brilliant mover ([41:30]).
• Gustavo Kuerten (Guga): Iconic, spinny clay-court backhand, “could unload line” ([43:07]).
• Tommy Haas, Agassi: Both cited for world-class backhand pace and control ([43:42], [44:20]).

Post-2012 and Overlap (Chris Eubanks’ Segments)

Novak Djokovic

• “Best of all time at switching directions with margin” ([37:32]–[39:02]).
• Ability to absorb, redirect, and create angles off both wings even against Nadal’s lefty spin.
• Cited as innovator in using the open-stance and slide into backhand on hard courts:

  “Novak was the first one that I saw who could consistently measure their like steps and run into a sliding into the backhand. … Not on a hardcourt, not on all services, not against every opponent. And that was Novak.” — Chris Eubanks ([39:21])

Andy Murray (again)

• Praised for backhand slice variety and ability to defend while changing the point’s direction.

Stan Wawrinka

• Best among one-handers for handling high-bouncing balls (especially against Nadal). Ability to hit “inside-out” backhands from the middle of the court, counterintuitive for a one-hander ([47:28]–[49:28]).
• Could “bully you around the court and just go through you cross [or] line.”

Alexander Zverev

• “Complete backhand”—handles pace, redirect line, balls above the shoulder ([49:28]–[50:31]).
• Ability to control middle of court with weight, plus old-school step-in execution makes him unique.

Daniil Medvedev

• Often overlooked, compared to Hewitt but taller and with a unique “low, flat, not fast but heavy” ball.
• “He breaks rules that you would normally tell kids… he can play far behind the baseline and not hit it that big.” — Chris Eubanks ([53:58])
• “He’s like the master of nuance.” — James Blake ([53:51])

Kei Nishikori

• “His ball control on the backhand side was a joke… could stay in that pocket, redirect, more firepower than Hewitt”—Eubanks ([56:19]).

Honorary Mentions & Other Deep Cuts

• David Nalbandian: “The first thing [anybody] thinks is… backhand” ([35:30]).
• Tomas Berdych: Super-low, powerful take.
• David Ferrer: Not flashy, but “master of ball trajectory.”
• Burnage/Berdych, Silic, others: “If we were to divide it by country, Czechs and Russians would be running away” ([58:24]–[58:51]).

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Ben Shelton's title:

  “Winning a 500 with a ham sandwich is... a lot of progress.” — Mike Bryan ([04:16])

• On Hewitt’s lob:

  “Name one other guy in your life where you knew the lob was coming and you still got beat.” — Chris Eubanks ([25:45])

• On Djokovic’s backhand:

  “The ability to switch directions without adding risk—I think Novak is the all-time master at that and especially off of that side.” — James Blake ([39:02])

• On Federer’s Hall of Fame sell-out:

  “People like him? Can’t… I can’t believe it.” — Mike Bryan ([12:57])

• On the best competitive mindset:

  “He is the best at the basics of the game and knowing what ball flight people can attack and what can’t that I have ever seen.” — James Blake on Hewitt ([27:14])

• Classic pod sign-off humor:

  “Who do you think as a podcast has the worst backhands—us or Nothing Major?” — James Blake ([59:19])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Shelton’s Win & American Tennis Drought: [01:11]–[04:16]
• Boulter & De Minaur Relationship Recap: [04:36]–[05:35]
• Dubai WTA Withdrawals and Debates: [07:30]–[11:09]
• Muchová’s Second Career Title: [11:43]–[12:21]
• Federer Hall of Fame Sellout: [12:50]–[13:41]
• Best Backhands Introduction: [14:40]
• Pre-2012 Backhand Greats (Blake): [15:26]–[44:22]
• Post-2012 Backhands & Further Debate (Eubanks): [45:26]–[58:00]
• Honorable Mentions, Final Banter: [58:00]–[59:59]

Episode Takeaways

• The episode is a masterclass in both tennis history and technical appreciation—listeners walk away with a nuanced sense of how great backhands are built and why certain players (past and present) stood out.
• The tone stays fun and improvisational, with players using personal anecdotes to contextualize what could otherwise be arcane technical analysis.
• The recurring topic of “who doesn’t get enough respect” (be it for their stats or their style) helps bridge generational gaps in the audience.
• Regular banter and affectionate ribbing keep the complex analysis light and engaging.

For listeners who missed this episode, the “Best Backhands” rundown will be a go-to reference for deepening your technical tennis or just sharpening your barstool debates.