Andy Roddick compares Novak Djokovic's late-career style changes to Roger Federer's - 'Bit of a circus'
Published 13/08/2026 at 22:54 GMT+1
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Andy Roddick has drawn comparisons between the adjustments made by Novak Djokovic late in his career to those by Roger Federer before his retirement, labelling the latter's famously aggressive SABR (Sneak Attack by Roger) "a bit of a circus".
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Federer adopted the tactic in the twilight years of his career, occasionally stepping forward and attacking his opponent's second serve in an attempt to quickly win points.
Djokovic has also tweaked his game as he approaches 40, still competing deep in Grand Slams.
Speaking on his podcast, Served, former world No. 1 Roddick said: "SABR was a bit of a circus. Roger would do it and it was fun, but did we ever see him really do it more than like one time? Every third set, it wasn’t something that you could go to all the time.
"Novak has already made adjustments. The second serve goes bigger, goes into the body. He doesn’t defend as well out of the corners. You might see him making more errors. That’s because he is trying to get on the front foot more often.
"It’s not as nuts as SABR, where we’re all just waiting for him. Basically Roger is playing a game of horse [shooting a basketball from different locations on the court], but during matches.
"Novak serves and volleys way more than he used to. Every player who was fantastic at defence, you lose a step. How do you make up for that? It’s by getting on the front foot and playing less defence. How is that done? It’s by hitting bigger from the baseline."
Perhaps Djokovic's greatest strength throughout his career has been his defensive ability, but Roddick claimed the 24-time Grand Slam winner can no longer cover ground like he once did.
"I don’t know that you see him as often settle in and defence [it] up," Roddick added. "Now he still does it when he needs to. The fifth set buster against Felix Auger-Aliassime [at Wimbledon], he went vintage, but can his body take that defensive load for five sets? I think the answer is no.
"Now it’s not as like obvious as SABR or Roger hitting one-handed backhand and return winners with a bigger frame or something to talk about. But he’s already made a bunch of adjustments."
Djokovic himself admitted earlier this year that he would have to make changes in order to compete with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
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"My sensation now is that I don't move as I used to," Djokovic said. "Perhaps I have lost a few tenths of a second in terms of speed, anticipation, and decision-making on the court, compared to the time when I dominated the circuit. It's normal, biological.
"Currently, I need to compensate for that, improve some aspects to mask my weaknesses and highlight my strengths. Only then will I be able to compete head-to-head with Carlos and Jannik."
Djokovic was beaten in straight sets by an imperious Sinner in the last four at Wimbledon, before the Italian went on to claim a second successive title.
The 39-year-old is still hunting a 25th Grand Slam title and is set to compete at the US Open, which begins on August 30.
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