Andy Roddick makes Roger Federer curse as US star displays on rivalry
The final American man to win a Grand Slam is hoping that his undesirable long-standing statistic can be damaged on the US Open this 12 months, however at the least none of the present US hopefuls might want to face Roger Federer like he did.
It’s been 20 years since Andy Roddick clinched his first – and final – slam title at Flushing Meadows, when the 6ft 2″ star beat Juan Carlos Ferrero in the 2003 final to truly announce his arrival in the top tier of tennis at the age of 20.
At the top of his game, ‘A-Rod’ would go on to feature in four more Grand Slam finals over the next six years, including three at Wimbledon and another US Open, but he lost every single one of them to Federer.
The last, an epic five-set marathon at the All England Club that was finally settled in the Swiss legend’s favour 16-14 in the deciding set, was possibly the most painful for Roddick. But by now he was well accustomed to losing to his nemesis.
During their professional tennis careers, the pair faced each other in 24 matches, with Federer winning 21 of them.
In a lengthy interview with GQ Sports, Roddick insists that he has great affection for Federer, but also admitted that their head-to-head record meant he created an insecurity around him.
Roddick said: “I love Roger, I do. I love him as a human being. I didn’t show up at the track every morning like, ‘F*** Roger! To me it was like the sky. You’re not always looking at it, but you know it’s there.”
A short while after winning his solitary slam in 2003, Roddick became world No 1. He stayed there for 13 weeks, but unlike his celebrated compatriots that went before him like Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, a new era of the sport was about to get underway, dominated by three of the greatest players ever to pick up a racket.
Federer was the first to arrive, then Rafael Nadal and at last Novak Djokovic. Roddick would by no means reclaim the highest spot on this planet rankings and the incoming trio have since gone on to win a staggering 65 Grand Slams between them, leaving the American caught on one.
Roddick gained 32 tour titles throughout his profession earlier than surprisingly retiring on the age of 30. A couple of years in the past, he gave away nearly all the trophies he gained throughout his time in tennis, retaining just some.
The US Open cup sits in a modest nook of his home, whereas the runners-up protect he acquired in New York after dropping to Federer in 2006 is now used as a drinks tray.
Roddick hopes one other American like Taylor Fritz or Frances Diafoe can win the title this 12 months in any other case the 40-year-old – due to Federer – will proceed to be the reply to a long-running trivia query.