Andy Roddick weighs in on Gold Medal vs Grand Slam title: “It’s not even up for discussion”

Andy Roddick shared his views on the significance of winning an Olympic gold medal in tennis and how it compares to securing a Grand Slam title. The 2003 US Open champion admitted that his perspective is influenced by his own limited success at the Olympics.

Roddick competed in the Olympics twice: in Athens 2004, where he reached the third round and lost to bronze medalist Fernando Gonzalez, and again in London 2012, where he was defeated in the second round by Novak Djokovic.

The former world No. 1 discussed his opinions on his podcast Served with Roddick, stating unequivocally that a Grand Slam holds far greater importance than an Olympic gold medal: “If you put me in this seat right now and gave me the choice between an Olympic gold medal or a Wimbledon title, it’s not even up for discussion,” he said.

“But the point is, it’s different for everyone. We try to define value, but you can’t. Roland Garros means more to someone who’s a contender there, compared to me, as it didn’t consume my thoughts,” Roddick added. He then compared the draws of the Olympics and a Masters event: “People might value a gold medal the same as a major, but let’s not pretend like the strength of the field is anywhere close to a Masters 1,000.”

“You go to Rome with a 48-draw and no one misses it, and compare it to the Olympic draw—it’s just not the same. All the big names are in it; it is heavy and weighted, but you don’t walk around many main draws of Slams and see someone you don’t even know their name.”

On a different note, Roddick expressed his special appreciation for doubles at the Olympics, noting that it often features players who are not typically known for their doubles play, which adds to the intrigue of the draws: “One of the best things about the Olympics is the doubles. It suddenly becomes as relevant as a gold medal in singles. I don’t care if it’s a distant spitting competition—you’re playing for the gold medal.”

“It’s been fun to see winners like González and Massú, who were not typical doubles players. Then there’s Roger and Stan Wawrinka in 2008—they played the Bryans in the semis and won. It might be one of the few times Roger felt nerves playing doubles, where it wasn’t just an add-on or a net.”

“The Bryans won in 2012 and in 2016, Rafa won with Marc López, who had a career-high singles ranking not in double digits. He’s an incredibly gifted player but didn’t have many weapons. Alcaraz, though, might be a key story going into the Olympics because I don’t know when they would have an excuse to enter doubles with consequence for them,” Roddick concluded.