Andy Roddick

Born: August 30, 1982 in Omaha (Nebraska)
Height: 1.88 m
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

He emerged as the heir to America’s “Golden Generation” with the force of a hurricane. Successful as a junior (Aussie Open and US Open 2000 titles – he defeated two years younger Mario Ančić in the final and semifinal respectively), soon after he cracked the ATP rankings in March ’00, Roddick was already dominating the Challenger circuit in America capturing three titles in his first six events at this level. Twelve months after gaining his first ATP points, he stunned two former world No. 1s (Marcelo Ríos and Pete Sampras) in straight sets, back-to-back, then came the first two ATP titles as he had played just 11 events at this level. The message was clear: a new star had arrived, a potential ruler of the first decade of the new century/new millennium.
Wild cards flowed his way as America’s brightest hope, but Roddick earned every opportunity. His game, built on a nuclear serve, howitzer forehand and radiating self-confidence, was deceptively simple yet brutally effective. One-dimensional? Perhaps. But when his back was against the wall, his self-belief conjured aces like magic – no player since has weaponized bold self-assurance so relentlessly.
His ascent was meteoric: just 58 tournaments to win titles in four basic conditions [clay, hard, indoors (hard), grass]. The summer of 2003, under Brad Gilbert’s guidance, became legendary: first Indianapolis, then back-to-back Masters 1K titles in Canada and Cincinnati – a feat unmatched until Rafael Nadal in 2013. Even more impressive that Roddick did it in the era when six not five wins were required to rise the trophy for the highest seeded players which means he won twelve matches within fourteen days! By September, he’d bulldozed through the US Open (27 wins in 28 matches), claiming his lone major and the world No. 1 ranking.
Then came an improved Roger Federer, more focused on defence than attacking. The 2003 Houston Masters semifinal was a harbinger: the Swiss dissected Roddick’s power with surgical precision. Over time, their rivalry became tennis’ cruellest paradox – Federer’s serve suddenly sharper against Roddick than anyone else, while Roddick’s own biggest weapon fizzled. Four major finals (Wimbledon 2004, 2005 and 2009 as well as US Open 2006), two Masters 1K finals (Toronto 2004, Cincinnati 2005), including a cascade of heartbreaks (Wimbledon 2009’s marathon fifth set stands as the bitterest) cemented the most lopsided H2H between No. 1s… a humiliating 3-21 from A-Rod’s perspective.
Roddick evolved being coached by former US players – smarter serves (variety over power), sharper volleys, a reliable backhand slice – but the outcome never changed. Jimmy Connors’ grit (2006-08) and Larry Stefanki’s tactics (2008-12) couldn’t crack the code of Federer’s supremacy. By his late 20s, Roddick as the charismatic showman had morphed into a frustrated battler, constantly complaining during matches, sweating heavily, out-muscled by Nadal, out-thought by Novak Đoković, and out-paced by Andy Murray. Roddick’s consolation of the disappointing second half of the 00s is the fact that he built a winning H2H record against the Serb (5:4), the future GOAT. Frequent losses to a few years younger players, dramatic defeats when a two-game advantage in the 5th sets was required, and the fact of slipping away the status of a Top 10 player after nine years, caused Roddick’s decision to retire on the day he turned 30 (unusually early among players born in the 80s).
His 2012 US Open farewell speech was pure Roddick: raw, self-deprecating, and deeply human. “It’s been a road, a lot of ups, a lot of downs, a lot of great moments. I’ve appreciated your support along the way. I know I certainly haven’t made it easy for you at times, but I really do appreciate it and love you guys with all my heart. Hopefully I’ll come back to this place someday and see all of you again.” At 30, he retired as the arguably second-greatest player born in the early 80s (behind Federer, ahead of Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin – Roddick has a balanced record against them both), so in a generation in which there was a fundamental change in tennis strategy from an offensive to a defensive approach; a testament to both his brilliance and the merciless era he inhabited. He represented the United States in the Davis Cup throughout his career. Although he has not won a single memorable match there, his contribution to the 2007 success was the biggest.

Career record: 612–213 [ 225 events ]
Career titles: 32
Highest ranking: No. 1
Best GS results:
Australian Open (semifinal 2003, 05, 07, 09; quarterfinal 2004, 10)
Wimbledon (runner-up 2004-05 & 09; semifinal 2003; quarterfinal 2007)
US Open (champion 2003; runner-up 2006; quarterfinal 2001-02, 04, 07-08, 11)
Davis Cup champion 2007

Year-end ranking 2000-2012: 158 – 14 – 10 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 6 – 6 – 8 – 7 – 8 – 14 – 39