Former World No.1 Andy Roddick never returned to Russia after being 'robbed' in the street by a police officer
ATP
Former World No.1 Andy Roddick revealed an incredible story that he was robbed by a police officer while he was in Russia for a Davis Cup tie back in 2006. The 2003 US Open champion went over to the country to face Russia where they lost 3-2 to the eventual winners in Moscow. He lost 17-15 to Dmitry Tursunov.
The following year, they gained revenge winning 4-1 in the 2007 final in Portland and that was likely buoyed from an experience he had on the streets of Russia during the previous year were the police officer threatened to send him to prison if he did not give him the $300 in cash he had on him and he has said that he since not returned to Russia as a result.
The country is currently in the midst of war with Ukraine which has dominated the tennis landscape mainly between WTA players in previous years and he said he paid it and went on his way instead of causing a fuss.
“I got robbed by a police officer on the street in Russia in 2006 when we were there for Davis Cup. True story. Came up and said how much cash do you have? I said $300… he simply said give it to me or go to jail,” wrote the American in a tweet on X that he has since deleted.
“I paid it and he went on his way. No emotion. Transactional. Let’s not get to that level of normalising crazy s**t. It ain’t it. Never went back.”
Asked whether he considered going public, he said it was more that he didn't want to cause a fuss and face repercussions if he did so. “Nope. I wanted to do my job, and get out of there safely. At that time, I didn’t wanna make a stink in case it was just a bad actor. Looking back, I now understand the surrounding factors,” Roddick added.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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