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Tommy Paul recently marveled at how his idol Andy Roddick and other past players were cleverly able to hide big weaknesses in their game.
Paul reached his maiden Masters 1000 semifinal by beating World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Canadian Open. In his post-match press conference, the 26-year-old was asked about Andy Roddick's 2003 US Open win and how much of a role model the former World No. 1 was for him.
Paul said that he didn't remember Roddick's 2003 US Open final since he was just 6 years old. However, he admitted to the three-time Wimbledon runner-up being one of his idols.
“I can't say that I, like, remember the actual match. Six years old was when I started playing tennis. I remember, you know, like, the posters from the US Open that year or even remember, like, what outfit he was wearing," Tommy Paul said.
"Like, I wanted to wear that outfit for three years after it, you know. But I wouldn't say, like, I really -- he was definitely one of my idols growing up, but I couldn't say I really tried to play like him or model my game after him," he added.
Tommy Paul further said that he likes to watch tennis from the '80s and '90s on YouTube, claiming that he liked how players from that era were able to hide the faults in their game. For example, he pointed out how Roddick did not have a great backhand but made up for it with his slice and serve.
“I watch a lot of tennis, but I wouldn't say I model my game after too many players. I try and copy certain shots, you know. But I watch a lot of older tennis, actually. I watch a lot of tennis from, like, the '80s and '90s. That's where I, like, go back on YouTube and watch tennis from back then," Paul said.
"And it's really cool how those guys would have such big holes in their game and be able to hide it, similar to Roddick. Like, he didn't have a great backhand. He would hide it with his slice. I mean, it's easy to hold serve when you have Roddick's serve," he added.
Tommy Paul to face Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the 2023 Canadian Open
After dismissing Carlos Alcaraz for the second time in a row at the Canadian Open, Tommy Paul will next take on seventh seed Jannik Sinner in the semifinals in Toronto.
The Italian beat Gael Monfils 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals to reach his fourth Masters 1000 semifinal of the 2023 season. Paul and Sinner have played each other twice so far in their careers, with their head-to-head tied at 1-1.
The winner of this match will face either Alex de Minaur or Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Canadian Open final.
