Roger Federer and Andy Roddick had one of the most notable rivalries of the 2000s, with Federer dominating their head-to-head record 21-3. Their encounters were often high-stakes, particularly in Grand Slam finals, where they met four times.
While Roddick has expressed how his frustrating losses against the Swiss legend in several major finals were a big factor in his decision to retire relatively early, the American has always had a big respect for Federer. In a new episode of his podcast “Served with Andy Roddick,” he even recalled one time he had a “salty” response to a line of questioning regarding the 20-time Grand Slam winner.
“Another time I got salty, I remember, I was playing Roger somewhere. It might have been Miami. He was ranked three in the world, and I was ranked around 30. Someone asked, ‘He’s ranked three in the world, he’s really slipping, isn’t he?’ They were asking in a way that I’m digesting, ‘Is Roger a bad player now?’” Roddick told.
After that, he lectured in the conference room. “And I’m going, ‘ok, raise your hands, everyone in here, raise your hand.’ You see people reluctantly raising their hands. And I say: ‘Exactly, three of you are the top three in the room, and exactly all of you would tell me that you’re good at your job.’ It was, like, silence.”
Roddick and Federer faced many times during their careers (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The 2003 US Open champion said that he would have expected “some consistency” when diagnosing players. “I’m not saying that you have to say he’s great, you can say ‘maybe he wasn’t what he was’ […] But, like, this line of questioning is frankly offensive to anybody who is not him also. I would kill for his worst year. Are we kidding ourselves?”
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Roddick and Federer’s rivalry delivered some great matches
Some of Federer and Roddick’s matches are considered to be classics, such as the 2009 Wimbledon final, where Roddick played one of the best games of his career, pushing Federer to a fifth-set tiebreak before ultimately falling 16-14. That victory gave Federer his 15th Grand Slam title, surpassing Pete Sampras’ record.
Their rivalry began in the early 2000s, with Roddick initially seen as a potential challenger to Federer’s rise. However, Federer’s all-court game and precision often proved too much for Roddick, particularly on grass and hard courts.
The Swiss star defeated him in three Wimbledon finals (2004, 2005, and 2009) and the 2006 US Open final. Despite the lopsided record, Roddick consistently pushed Federer in big moments, with his powerful serve and aggressive play making for competitive matches.
