“I’m Jealous”: Andy Roddick Reveals Reason Behind His Poor Performance Against Roger Federer

The grand slam glory that Andy Roddick would’ve had if not for Roger Federer is a story that isn’t just applicable to the American but to many other players from that generation as they found it intimidating to face the Swiss star despite the surface.

Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 3, 2021 Switzerland’s Roger Federer in action during his third round match against Britain’s Cameron Norrie REUTERS/Toby Melville

Watch this story: Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Naomi Osaka, and Other Tennis Stars at Met Gala over the years

Roger Federer enjoys a hefty head-to-head record against Andy Roddick

Coming to Roddick, the former American no.1 faced Federer a mammoth 24 times during his time on the ATP tour. Out of the 24 occasions, Roddick was successful thrice as he couldn’t find ways to defeat the Swiss machine and ended up losing all those matches.

The duo met each other in four grand slam finals (Wimbledon(2004,2005, 2009), US Open(2006)) and Roger got the better off Roddick in all four of them. But, the one final where the American had a real chance was in the finals of 2009 Wimbledon.

Federer failed to beat Roddick’s serve till the final game of the fifth set, where Roddick was under pressure on serve. In every department, the American matched Federer but failed to own crucial points to turn the momentum on his side.

After the 2009 Wimbledon final, Andy Roddick couldn’t reach another major final till his retirement at the 2012 US Open. In the recently broadcasted Netflix documentary titled, Untold: Breaking Point, Mardy Fish openly talked about mental health struggles during his stint on the ATP tour.

Fish praised Roddick for always being there for him and the duo talked about the intimidation factor Federer brought when he shot to limelight after winning the Wimbledon title in 2003.

“I’m not jealous of his success” – Roddick on Federer’s domination

Roddick, who faced the Swiss star more times than Federer, mentioned, “Roger is the best defensive and best offensive player in the world at the same time. How do you….how do you attack that?”

The American continued, “He’s the most-liked athlete, universally, in the world. You speak 17 languages, and your hair looks amazing and it’s fantastic, and you don’t sweat. I’m not jealous of his success. I’m jealous of the ease at which he’s able to navigate being the greatest of all time”. 

While Federer’s dominance was constantly questioned by two his great rivals Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, the generation of stars that played with Federer failed to achieve a positive head-to-head record against him.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia, Rafael Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerlan wait to go on stage during the ATP Heritage Celebration at The Waldorf=Astoria on in New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

With the arrival of Nadal and Djokovic, the situation changed for Roger Federer as he had to fight hard in every single matchup to earn a victory. While talking about Federer, Roddick also mentioned how it became impossible to defeat the Big-3.

“It became this gargantuan effort, trying to beat the guys that had become the Mount Rushmore of the game. And all the while taking criticisms. But, my dad instilled that army mentality where if you take it on the chin, you get up, and you do it again. I had to get up a lot”, reflected the American.

INDIAN WELLS, CA – MARCH 20: Andy Roddick pumps his fist after winning a point against Robin Soderling of Sweden during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 20, 2010 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

The sport is privileged to have players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, who are dominating the slams for so long and at the same time.

It’s also important to note that older generation players like Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick tried their best to stop the Big-3 force just like how next-gen players such as Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are fighting hard to stop them now, especially at slams.

Also read: “He Probably Felt Bad”: Mardy Fish Narrates on-Court Experience With Roger Federer

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