Andy Roddick Opens Up

The veteran American discusses the evolving state of men's tennis

By Joe McDonald

Andy Roddick wins his first round at 2012 US Open

(August 28, 2012) -- If the average age for the top 10 tennis players goes up any higher, the tennis players may start asking Paul Ryan about his Medicare program.

With many of the top tennis players in their late 20s or even early 30s, the average age of the skill level is just going up and up.

So says, thirty-something Andy Roddick.

“I think the game has become a lot more physical,” he said. “I think you have to be a fully grown human to deal with kind of the ins and outs of the physical grind.

“I think that's probably why you're seeing what you see now. I mean, you have to kind of be able to kind of take a beating week in and week out. It's not as much about shot making now as it is about kind of movement and that sort of thing.”

And there is of course some real truth to that. You didn’t see John McEnroe doing a weight lifting regimen. Rather, players of his era went out and played. And on sheer tennis skill, teenagers like Lleyton Hewitt were able to win Grand Slams at 17.

But now, the game has changed, and what made Roddick such a great competitor over the years is his ability to make adjustments in his game to keep up with the times.

“The game completely changed,” Roddick said. "I was able to kind of recognize it. It's funny, because the things I feel like I get criticized for have kept me around a lot more than my contemporaries.

“I saw the way the game was going," referring to his efforts to tweak his style of play as the men's field evolved. "You have to get stronger and quicker. I don't think there was much room for a plodder who could hit the ball pretty hard.”

“It was a conscious effort at times, and I feel like that's added to longevity a little bit.”

And now Roddick is back again, after an injury-filled last couple of seasons and now seeded 20th at the Open. The Texan has been the face of American tennis and unfairly has taken the bulk of the criticism since his American tennis in his era did not have the success of the days of Jimmy Connors and McEnroe or Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

Even at his age, he’s still the best American at the Open, but there are some who are knocking at his door.

“It's not always pointing towards the guys that are 18 and 19 now in tennis. You know, (John) Isner has impressed me this summer,” he said. “He's only a couple years younger than me, but he's coming into his own with that serve.

“And he doesn't have a lot of wear and tear. He hasn't been out here for 10 or 12 years, so he should have, you know, five, six good years left. Sam (Querrey) has been playing better. So I have liked what I've seen from the guys that we know.”

But Americans still love their championships and of the ones at the Open only Roddick has a Grand Slam to his name (2003 at the US Open).

Then again, none of the great Americans in the past had to deal with Roger Federer, a guy who Roddick still marvels out.

“The fact that we can talk about his matches, kind of the negative ones on every one of them is a good thing, you know,” he laughed.

“I mean, that's gotta tell you something about him.”

Roddick has gotten softer over the years. That arrogant edge seems to have dimmed a little. That doesn’t mean he is lost his edge. Instead, he is older and wiser and maybe the public perception has changed too, especially after that Wimbledon loss back in 2009 to Federer.

“I think any sort of positive or negative on a big stage when eyeballs are on you, people form opinions, he said. “You know, I don't think that changes. You know, I think you get a pretty good reading of someone in tough moments. You know, I can't really speak to Andy and what he's going through, but, you know, I felt I don't remember much about the post match stuff from Wimbledon, but I guess people liked it back then.”

And he is still liked now, especially in Flushing Meadows. Although he is no longer in the top 10, he is still a top draw, but he has a positive attitude coming in.

“There is no acceptable result,” he said. “You play your second round, try to win your second round. You go as far as you want. Or as far as you can.

“I don't think we think of it in the context of what's acceptable and what's not. You play a match to try and win a match.”

He did just that today, dispatching American Rhyne Williams in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Now he is onto the second round.

With a few more wins under his belt, Roddick may make some noise here.

The Medicare debate can wait.

(Photo Credit: Andy Kentla)