"People always looked at Andy like ‘Is he the next Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi": Macci on his time training Roddick
ATP
The coach for former world number one Serena Williams, Rick
Macci, believes that America’s Andy Roddick overachieved in his career.
The 41-year-old remained famous for his big serve and became
the world number one for a brief period of time in November 2003.
Macci was quoted in a report where he stated that everyone
looked at Roddick as the next Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi whereas in reality,
it was never going to be the case.
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"People always looked at Andy like ‘Is he the next
[Pete] Sampras or [Andre] Agassi?’ You know he was never gonna be that in my
opinion. But I think, he overachieved, and I tell him this," he said.
"He’s just a great guy. With competition, everything
changed around him. I think he overachieved, very few bad losses and people
didn’t really appreciate him as much, and till we’ve never had any other
American Grand Slam champion.
"He was just a great competitor. Everybody’s
competitive… but there was a different level. I mean he took out Federer,
Nadal, Djokovic… he beat all those guys now and then and if it was a boxing
match, they would probably win 18 to 20 in the tale of the tape.
“But he was just as competitive, had a big serve and the
forehand. So, one of my all-time favorites. He was a mosquito. He just would
not let you alone and I love that in a player.”
Roddick’s only Grand Slam triumph came in 2003 when he won
the US Open on his home soil after beating Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain in the
final with a score of 6–3, 7–6(7–2), 6–3.
Other than that, he also reached the final of Wimbledon
three times — 2004, 2005 and 2009 — where on each occasion, he was defeated by
Switzerland’s legendary tennis star Roger Federer.
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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