Served with Andy Roddick

Episode: QUICK SERVED: US Open Day 2 – Venus Williams Out, Fonseca Continues, & more
Date: August 26, 2025
Summary by: [Podcast Expert Summarizer]

Episode Overview

In this "Quick Served" episode covering Day 2 of the 2025 US Open, Jon Wertheim (filling in for Andy Roddick) recaps the day's biggest stories from Flushing Meadows. Reflecting on history in the making and emerging new talent, Wertheim pays tribute to legends possibly bidding farewell—most notably Venus Williams—and analyzes a day marked by both emotional goodbyes and surprising upsets. The episode blends reverence for tennis veterans with excitement for the sport's youthful future, while serving as a daily wrap-up for dedicated fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Venus Williams: A Graceful Goodbye?

• Venus Williams, age 45, likely played her final US Open match.
  • Played her 24th US Open, having first reached the final in 1997.
  • Faced Karolina Muchova, a two-time semi-finalist.
• Performance:
  • "For large swatch[es] of this match... it looked a lot like Venus Williams. Doing a pretty good Venus Williams impression out there, holding her serve with ease, moving quite well, giving a younger, higher ranked opponent some real fits."
    — Jon Wertheim ([02:23])
• Atmosphere:
  • Venus received a warm, heartfelt send-off from the crowd, captivating the stadium for about an hour and winning the second set before ultimately fading in the third.
  • "So often in sports we don't fully appreciate athletes or give them their full due until they're off stage. Not the case here. Venus surely felt the warmth and the affection the crowd."
    — Jon Wertheim ([03:06])
• Uncertainty:
  • "Who knows if she will play again? Never say never, especially with Venus Williams."
    — Jon Wertheim ([04:04])
  • Host reflects that, if this is her swan song, it's a fitting and dignified exit.

2. Other Veteran Farewells

• Petra Kvitova:
  • Announced this tournament would be her last; will be Hall of Fame-bound within five years.
  • Poignant post-match moment as fellow players lined up "like a reception at a wedding" to congratulate her. ([04:30])
• Caroline Garcia:
  • Former top 5 French player also likely played her last match.

3. Youth Rising

• Eva Jovic (USA, 17):
  • Impressed again, winning first-round match for the second year running; faces Jasmine Paolini next. ([05:29])
• Joao Fonseca (BRA):
  • Reaffirmed previous hype, winning in straight sets under "tough circumstances" (including a vomit incident).
  • "[Fonseca] was terrific and won a straight set match... the Brazilian fans loved it."
    — Jon Wertheim ([05:43])

4. Major Upset: Madison Keys Falls

• Madison Keys (6th seed and Australian Open champ):
  • Lost a wild three-setter to Mexico’s Hernada Zarazua.
  • Recorded "89 unforced errors, which looks like a typo... 89 unforced errors against 46 winners." ([06:26])
  • Zarazua’s victory is the first by a Mexican player over a top-10 opponent at the US Open in thirty years.
• Quote:
  • "Madison Keys afterwards... was really sort of upfront and confronted the fact that yeah, she felt the nerves and they were paralyzing and she sort of had a funny line. This is one of the beauties of sports allegedly."
    — Jon Wertheim ([06:58])

5. Other Notable Results & Storylines

• Jack Draper:
  • Debut for endorsement with Vori ("Have we decided, is it vuorry, three syllables or vori?") ([07:48])
  • Wins match in four sets.
• Frances Tiafoe:
  • Solid straight-set victory.
• Holger Rune, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud:
  • Routine wins for "the ruse."
• Mira Andreeva:
  • Dominant win, losing only one game after recent ankle injury.
• Barbora Krejčíková:
  • Two-time major winner, won comfortably; opponent Vicky Mboko may have been hampered by a wrist injury. ([08:21])
• Elena Rybakina & Jasmine Paolini:
  • Both advanced.

6. Preview: Day 3 & Upcoming Matches

• Wimbledon Champions Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner to debut on Arthur Ashe.
• Coco Gauff makes her 2025 appearance, with interest in biomechanical changes to her serve.
• Alexander Zverev and Marta Kostyuk among the featured players.
• Quote:
  • "If you had a ticket, you were not disappointed. Again, Carlos Alcaraz on court as we speak."
    — Jon Wertheim ([08:59])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Venus Williams's legacy:
  "We have exhausted the inventory of adjectives and phrases of praise for this towering champion"
  — Jon Wertheim ([02:04])

• On generational change:
  "For every goodbye there is a hello. There was also a theme of youth today."
  — Jon Wertheim ([05:20])

• On Madison Keys's struggles:
  "89 unforced errors, which looks like a typo. I mean again let's just. 24 points wins you a set in this sport. 89 unforced errors against 46 winners."
  — Jon Wertheim ([06:26])

• On the US Open experience:
  "It was an interesting day. If you had a ticket, you were not disappointed."
  — Jon Wertheim ([08:59])

Key Timestamps

• [01:17] – Jon Wertheim opens Day 2 wrap-up
• [02:04] – Reflecting on Venus Williams’s career and match
• [03:45] – Venus’s night session, crowd reaction, and possible farewell
• [04:30] – Petra Kvitova and Caroline Garcia retirements
• [05:29] – Eva Jovic and Joao Fonseca: Youth on the rise
• [06:26] – Madison Keys’s upset loss & historical context
• [07:48] – Quickfire on Jack Draper, Frances Tiafoe, and other main draw results
• [08:21] – Women’s results: Andreeva, Krejčíková, Mboko injury
• [08:59] – Day 3 preview, what's on the schedule next

Closing Thought

Wertheim’s wrap-up strikes a note of respect for tennis’s greats while keeping an eye on the future, highlighting both poignant farewells and promising new stars. It’s an episode thick with nostalgia and anticipation, capturing the singular spirit of Day 2 at the US Open.

End of Summary