In the early 2000s, several Americans broke onto the scene, including James Blake and Mardy Fish. However, the most successful American player to come through during that time was Andy Roddick.
EARLY SUCCESS
Roddick turned pro in 2000, and it didn’t take him long to make an impact on the ATP Tour, winning the Verizon Tennis Challenge in Atlanta the following year.
He quickly added more silverware to his cabinet just weeks later in Houston, again on clay, before becoming champion at a couple of 500 events, beating Blake in the final at the 2002 U.S. National Indoor Championships.
With one of the best serves in recent memory, Roddick secured Masters glory in Montreal and Cincinnati in 2003, defeating good friend Fish in the final of the latter.
Shortly after, the Nebraska man would reach the pinnacle of tennis.
GRAND SLAM GLORY AND WORLD NO. 1 STATUS
Coming into the 2003 US Open, Roddick was riding the crest of a wave, given his accomplishments at big events in the weeks prior. The 21-year-old now had the opportunity to put the icing on the cake with a first Grand Slam title.
Roddick was the fourth seed and had a good run until the semi-final, where he took on David Nalbandian. The Argentine surged into a two-set lead, but Roddick would not be denied. He edged the third after a tense tie-break, before comfortably taking the next two to book a place in the final.
The deciding match was far more conclusive; Roddick stormed to the win against Juan Carlos Ferrero (who recently trained Carlos Alcaraz) in straight sets to achieve a career-defining moment at Flushing Meadows.
Speaking in his post-match interview, he said: “It’s so far-fetched for me. I came here as a fan so much when I was younger. It is an absolute privilege to have my name on the trophy.”
Later that year, he became world No. 1. Many believed he would be the player to mirror the success of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras and become a multi-time Major champion. But that was not to be, because of a certain Roger Federer.
CONSECUTIVE MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AT WIMBLEDON
Federer had earned his first couple of Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon (2003) and the Australian Open (2004) by the time he and Roddick met at the All England Club final months after the former’s triumph in Melbourne.
While Roddick took the first set and had opportunities to extend his lead to 2-0, the new world No. 1 showed his class to defend his throne.
In 2005, Federer beat Roddick in straight sets in the final.
2007 DAVIS CUP
After a twelve-year wait, Roddick and his USA teammates became 2007 Davis Cup champions.
Roddick was instrumental in the final against Russia. Overcoming Dmitry Tursunov in the first rubber, he put his team into the lead. They won at a canter, taking a 4-1 victory.
This was a big moment for Roddick, who valued it as high as anything else he managed: “Winning the US Open, trying to compete for slams, you’re playing for a lot of selfish reasons, but to come in here and to share this with these guys and to have developed the friendships and everything that goes along with it, the laughs and the tears, it’s just amazing. I think we’re trying our best to enjoy this. It’s definitely on par with anything that I’ve accomplished in tennis.”
It remains the nation’s last victory at the prestigious team competition.
Last Chance in London
While Roddick missed out in 2004 and 2005, the 2009 Wimbledon final was the toughest pill to swallow.
Having fallen short at the final hurdle when taking on Federer at the 2006 US Open, Roddick was still searching for a second Major, and Wimbledon was the one he wanted more than any other.
Rafael Nadal had ended Federer’s run of five straight Wimbledon titles in 2008, showing he wasn’t invincible there.
The next year, Roddick played fantastically against Federer, who had been a thorn in his side for years. He took the first set and had four break points in the tie-break of the second. Unable to capitalise, Federer levelled the score before taking the third.
Roddick fought back to take it into a decider, which Federer won 16-14, breaking his opponent’s serve for the first time in the match. The other sets he won came after tie-breaks.
Federer broke Sampras’s Grand Slam record with his 15th Major. Roddick thanked the fans in attendance at Centre Court and congratulated his opponent graciously: “I’m one of the lucky few who gets cheered for, so thank you for that. I just want to say congratulations to Roger; he deserves everything he gets, so well done, Roger.”
Maintaining his sense of humour, he addressed Sampras, “I tried, sorry Pete.”
Ultimately, Roddick would have won Wimbledon and likely a handful of Grand Slams had his career and prime not run parallel with one of the best to ever do it.
Final Years Playing
Roddick continued to compete and secured a few more titles, the highlight being the 2010 Miami Open.
Injuries ended his time as a singles tennis player; he retired in 2012 but would compete again in doubles with Fish at the 2015 Atlanta Open.
Roddick departed as one of the best of his era with 32 titles.
Success on YouTube
Since hanging up his racquet, Roddick has shown himself to be an incredible analyst of the sport, with his YouTube channel (Served with Andy Roddick) amassing nearly 200,000 subscribers.
There, he has interviewed some of the greats, such as Agassi, Federer, and Nadal, and has built a loyal fan base due to his charisma and insightful knowledge of tennis.
Federer has praised Roddick’s show: “Andy is a great guy. He’s the best. I love his podcast as well. I want him to do commentary. He’s so fun to listen to, he’s so knowledgeable. I always enjoyed having him around on the tour. Whenever I hear Andy Roddick, I get a smile on my face. It brings me back to the olden days.”
An Excellent Career, Despite The Disappointments
While Roddick came very close to winning Wimbledon on several occasions, his resume is one to be proud of.
Clinching over 30 ATP Tour titles, let alone a Major and five Masters trophies, is a huge feat in itself, and Roddick remains to this day the last American man to win a Grand Slam.