Kim Clijsters says Aryna Sabalenka resembles the great Serena Williams on 'Served with Andy Roddick'

The 2024 US Open champions have been crowned: Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner. With the last Slam of the year in the rearview, Andy Roddick recapped the Flushing Meadows fortnight, shedding light on its final days, as well as what can be expected moving forward.

Joined by Kim Clijsters, the Served Podcast began with a whopping congratulations to American finalist Jessica Pegula, and her breakthrough run in New York.

“Frankly no one would give a sh*t about Jess Pegula not being past the quarters if she wasn’t so good,” Roddick said. “If she didn’t produce, and win Masters 1000s and career high three in the world, and if there weren’t other players a lot less accomplished who made Slam runs and even won Grand Slams. I think the narrative was especially interesting because she out-performs her Slam performances so consistently during the rest of the year.”

Pegula broke through to not only reach her first major semifinal, but also the final. The only issue was Sabalenka waiting on the other side.

“Her strength is her consistency, she has the consistency to break someone down mentally as well, and Sabalenka was too strong,” Clijsters said. “[Pegula’s] strength is to try to keep the ball as low over the net and as deep as possible, and she has to have the chance to do that. Against Sabalenka, the first two shots of the rally, the return and the serve, are just too strong and she beats her to it.”

After losing a 3-0 lead in the second set, Sabalenka suddenly trailed 3-5—but found a way to come back and win the championship after just four more games.

“To keep shooting your shot even after missing 17 balls in the last 12 minutes is a skill that I didn’t have,” Roddick said. “If I’m missing, I’m losing confidence. How you commit to going back there, deleting all the stress and going and shooting again is crazy.”

Clijsters agreed, saying “just like Serena, she has the ability to step up when needed."

Throughout the show, the terms “elite” and “greatness” were used, and where Sabalenka was concerned, they were used to compare her game to the all-time greats.

“There are so many different ways to get to greatness,” Roddick said. “I always use the example, what if someone tried to coach the volley technique out of McEnroe? What if someone tried to coach the Vamos finish from Rafa? What if someone coached those things out of them because they weren’t accepted at the time? What if someone coached out the ability to create friction for Novak? You have to commit to who you are and find your best process, it’s not one-size fits all.”

“Look at Roger, Rafa, Novak, Serena. You could not have four more different personalities,” he continued. “With Sabalenka, I appreciate the different process. And hers looks fun. And she dives in afterwards and has a smile. It’s like she’s down for a joke but also committed to improvement, it seems like she has a great balance…I wish I had a little more Sabalenka.”

There were a few other notable players on the WTA whom Roddick and Clijsters discussed: Naomi Osaka, Karolina Muchova and Coco Gauff.

Clijsters said Osaka’s Roland Garros match against Iga Swiatek was a pinnacle moment for her game, playing at an elite level. Noting her Slam draws have been tough throughout the year, Clijsters believes there’s plenty more coming from Osaka in the years to come.

“She’s doing all the right things, going in the right direction,” she said. “If she can keep putting the work in and finding enjoyment, she can definitely cause some more damage.”

Osaka fell to Karolina Muchova in the second round of the US Open, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

“I don’t know how she hasn’t been Top 3 in the world forever,” Roddick said on Muchova. “I hope she gets that run, she’s an elite tennis player.”

As for the 2023 US Open champion Gauff, Roddick said “she had to get past the Open.”

Speaking to her adjustments over the past year and how far she’s come, “for some reason, in the pressure moments, old habits seep in,” he said.

To close out the show, Roddick shouts out Jannik Sinner for a “weird start” but a well-deserved finish. Where runner-up Taylor Fritz is concerned, Roddick said there wasn’t much else he could have tried.

“I’m watching the match, it’s at the end of the first set,” he said. “He didn’t serve well, he was 38%, but otherwise hitting the ball great, they were pumping the ball. But you get to the point in the match where you’re like, 'OK I’m losing, what adjustments can be made?' Taylor’s not going to serve and volley, he’s not going to chip and charge, that’s not the way his game is built. You can’t just say do that. I don’t know where he goes.”

As live tennis now moves out of the U.S. and back out to the rest of the world, Roddick, Clijsters and tennis lovers alike will be following the tour through to the ATP and WTA Finals at the end of the year.

Watch the full episode on Served Media Channels everywhere.