“Tennis players are the best athletes in the world,": Andy Roddick on why he thinks tennis tops the NBA
ATP
Andy Roddick is not just serving up aces on the podcast circuit; he is also dropping some hot takes that might ruffle a few feathers in the sports world.
The 2003 U.S. Open champ and former world No. 1 has made a name for himself as one of tennis’s sharpest commentators since retiring, and on his latest Served With Andy Roddick episode, he went all in with a bold claim: tennis players are the best athletes on the planet.
He was also blunt in comparing tennis to the NBA, a league widely known for showcasing some of the world’s top athletes. His reasoning centred on one key factor that he believes sets tennis apart from other sports: endurance.
"I think tennis players are the best athletes in the world," Roddick said, reflecting on the epic five-hour, 40-minute French Open men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. That brutal showdown tested every ounce of skill and stamina as Alcaraz pulled off a comeback to win his second straight French Open title and fifth Grand Slam overall with a score of 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2), all at the age of 22.
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"You compare this to other sports," Roddick continued. "An NBA game is 48 minutes played in air conditioning, where you have teammates, halftime, timeouts. To say one thing doesn't mean you're throwing shade at something else.".
Sure, tennis may not have slam dunks or fast-breaks, but it demands an insane level of physical and mental toughness over hours of nonstop action in all kinds of weather and pressure.
Can Alcaraz jump like Ja Morant? Probably not. However, Roddick is not suggesting that tennis players are better at everything. He is simply celebrating the sport’s unique demands.
Roddick elaborated too stating how: "We used to get viewed as, 'Oh, you're soft, like [a] country club sport.' I don't know that that narrative exists," Roddick asserted.
"I don't know how you can watch and not say the athleticism that is on display is otherworldly," Roddick said. "I think tennis players are the best athletes in the world. The more I watch it, the more I think it. Tell me why I'm wrong.".
Overall, what Andy Roddick sees is a sport that demands it all - stamina, agility, coordination, mental fortitude, and the ability to perform solo on a world stage for hours at a time.
Roddick’s not looking to start a feud, although he is definitely inviting a conversation.
Sean Killen is a contributing journalist for both DartsNews.com and Tennisuptodate.com, where he balances his university studies with writing news updates, player features, and match reports across both sports.
Before joining the sites, Sean built experience across student and professional media. He serves as TV News Director for Cardiff University TV (CUTV), has reported for Gair Rhydd and The Cardiff Times, and produced viral news coverage that gained international attention. His reporting spans sports, breaking news, and human-interest features, and he’s worked across platforms including print, online, radio, and video.
Sean has followed the ATP and WTA tennis tours closely for years, with a growing interest in darts through the Premier League and World Championship circuits. He brings a sharp eye for storytelling, a commitment to accuracy, and a passion for making niche sports accessible to wider audiences.
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