The Fall and Rise of Andy Roddick

Jesse Michael
July 8, 2009

Andy Roddick. Just hearing those two words brings many different thoughts or feelings to mind, depending on what side of the tennis fence you sit.

Fans of Roddick see him as strong, charismatic, and, although sometimes very outspoken, one of the best players in the game right now.

Others see him as a whiny, mentally confused player who doesn’t deserve all the accolades given to him, especially at a young age.

“He was a great hope, and he just didn’t deliver,” says Marie LaRose, an avid Tennis fan and a member of the prestigious Badminton and Racquet Club in Toronto, Canada. “It seemed like he was struggling with something. I really feel like he didn’t have the mental strength.”

Heralded as the next Pete Sampras from a very young age, Roddick burst onto the tennis scene quickly in 2001. He beat a proven star in American Michael Chang at the French Open, and then his idol Sampras at the Miami Masters at the age of 19.

Roddick continued his dominance over the next couple of years, capturing the 2003 US Open, and laying claim to the No. 1 overall spot in men’s tennis. Many believed that this was the stepping-stone Roddick needed to catapult his career.

However, since then, Roddick’s fallen off the pace, surpassed by the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, and left the tennis world wondering if he would ever return to championship form.

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It’s taken three years [since his last Grand Slam final], but now Roddick, with the help of new coach Larry Stefanki, has redefined himself, moving away from his traditional power game to include finesse drop and volley shots.

“What intrigued me is that he’s [Stefanki] worked with lefties, righties, guys who stay back, guys who come in, absolute head cases, and guys who are quiet on the court,” Roddick told USA Today last week after his fourth-round matchup at Wimbledon. “There is a lot of variety there and he’s had success with each one.”

The “new” Roddick was on full display in Sunday’s Wimbledon final against Federer, arguably playing the best game of his life and displaying a sense of maturity and poise rarely seen before.

Once again however, Roddick came up short in his quest for his first Wimbledon title, allowing Federer to capture his record setting 15th Grand Slam victory.

The match was one for the history books, setting a Wimbledon record for most points in a fifth set at 30. Much more impressive was that Roddick himself set a record for the number of total games won in a Wimbledon final with 39.

It wasn’t just the crowd and TV audience that noticed a change in Roddick’s game, but Federer was quick to compliment the 26-year-old American

“He [Roddick] did great,” said Federer. “I think it’s one of the best matches we played against each other. I really thought I had to play my very, very best to come through.”

After years of soul-searching, Roddick now seems like he’s back near the top of his game, seemingly ready to try and regain the number one spot in tennis.

His quest will continue in just under two months, as Roddick will return to the scene of his first Grand Slam title, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and the 2009 US Open.

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The Author:

Jesse Michael