Former men’s World No. 1 Andy Roddick recently spoke about the longevity of Serena Williams’ career and her legacy in American tennis. Roddick has known Williams from a young age, having trained with her at Rick Macci’s tennis academy in Florida.
In conversation with former tennis players Zina Garrison and Chanda Rubin - hosts of a weekly podcast - Roddick marveled at the level of self-confidence that Williams has shown over the years. According to Roddick, that self-confidence is what has has helped the 39-year-old pace her career a lot better than her contemporaries.
The American further credited Williams’ ability to “show up” and play her best tennis after long breaks - without needing a lot of match practice - for her long-standing dominance.
Andy Roddick also highlighted the difference in the manner that he and Serena Williams approached their careers, making use of a “sprint versus marathon” analogy. The American was focused on getting immediate results because he believed he had a limited window to play at his physical peak, but he now acknowledges that that approach was “short-sighted”.
Roddick also claimed Serena Williams trusted her abilities and had a “process going the entire way”, something that he didn’t fully understand at the time.
Venus and Serena Williams were everything for US tennis: Andy Roddick
On being asked about Venus and Serena Williams’ impact on American tennis, Andy Roddick “regurgitated” what several other players, women in particular, have said about the two.
Roddick claimed that getting a chance to share the court with his idols was a big highlight of his career, and that it must have been the same for the young female players who grew up idolizing the Williams sisters.
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