Open in 2003 was not his only major final. The main reason, however, for Roddick not achieving his dream to get back to the top was the quality of his opposition. Plus, it took Roddick time to get back up to match strength, especially after long lay-offs. Those absences often cost him ranking points. When your body tells you it is time to quit, then you listen. Injuries were one of the reasons that Clijsters also said good-bye to tennis. He withdrew from all action on clay in 2012, electing not to return until the grass court season.Īs is true of many players who reach age 30 and beyond, recovery took longer and coming back became harder. In 2011 alone, Roddick had to retire or withdraw because of a shoulder injury and a torn oblique muscle.Īt the 2012 Australian Open, he was forced to retire in his match with Lleyton Hewitt because of a hamstring injury. Throughout his career, Roddick suffered from numerous injuries, such as hamstring and shoulder problems that kept him out of action from time to time.
Roddick just could not take that next step to the top because there were players ranked ahead of him who could play the game better, no matter how much Roddick sought to change that fact. He remained a top-ten player for a decade which requires ultimate skill and commitment.
That is not to say that Roddick was not an excellent tennis player, because he was. It was not possible to be at the top of the game unless you excelled in all facets. Sometimes, however, the level of talent is just not there no matter how hard you work. He never quit trying any time he took the court, working relentlessly to improve. When that happened, Roddick was passed standing at the net instead of finding himself in an advantageous put-away position.Īs time wore on, and other players learned to better handle his serve, Roddick continued to work hard to improve his movement on court, as well as other tennis fundamentals. Often his forays into the net when he served and volleyed were not well-timed. While Roddick’s forehand was often equally powerful, his backhand remained a weakness in his game. However, not all aspects of his game parallelled his serve. Using power, variety and placement, Roddick’s serve will go down in tennis history as one of the greatest offensive weapons in tennis. In the beginning, it was enough to serve at blistering speeds.
Over the years and at different tournaments, Roddick also set many other records for fastest serve. He holds the record for the fastest serve at a Grand Slam tournament at 152 miles per hour. The foundation of Roddick’s game has always been his serve. So why did Roddick never quite get there-never quite achieve all those dreams he had as a youngster coming up? 1 ranking.Īt that point, the weight of expectation for American tennis fell directly on Roddick’s shoulders.įrom then on, everyone looked to Roddick to win because he was the heart and soul of men’s tennis in the United States. Open over Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero and captured the No. He reached the peak of his career in 2003, at the age of 21, when he won the U.S.
Andy roddick rainn wilson professional#
Roddick has been playing professional tennis for twelve years challenging opponents on courts around the world-starting at the age of 18.
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