Andy Roddick knows more than most about the agony of defeat. In his long and celebrated career, he reached five Grand Slam finals but ended up on the losing side on four of them. This gave him a unique perspective on major championship heartbreaks.
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On his podcast Served, Roddick became the latest high-profile tennis name to point out the absurdity of interviewing players on court right after they have just suffered a devastating loss.
“So, giving a speech in your worst moment, it’s not easy,” said Roddick, reflecting on his own painful memories. “The only time I’ve really, really, really struggled was ’09 Wimbledon. I knew if I broke that it was over, right?”
Maintaining one’s dignity and emotions after missing out on a major title is an immense task for anyone, and Roddick knew this all too well. In 2009, his crushing 5–7, 7–6 (8–6), 7–6 (7–5), 3–6, 16–14 defeat to Roger Federer became one of the most talked-about sporting moments of the year.
Roddick did not leave any space for Federer, but in the end the Swiss was just-better. But gulping that feeling of being so close yet so far from a major title in 15 minutes and going up to speak with a straight voice seemed even harder for him in that moment, but he did it anyway for his fans.
Despite the immense hardship, handling the media spotlight with poise can turn public sentiment around and show a player’s true character. Roddick praised fellow American Ben Shelton for his speech after losing the US Open Final to Alexander Zverev.
Shelton, who was playing in his first Grand Slam final, lost in four sets, yet won over the crowd and received widespread plaudits for being authentic in front of the whole world on the biggest stage. Zverev and Shelton tackled that particular occasion with incredible grace, and their mutual gesture to go over and congratulate each other’s teams made them both widely admired.
“I thought Ben Shelton in the speech he gave was maybe his best front-facing moment that I’ve ever seen post US Open,” Roddick said, highlighting Shelton’s maturity during that tough post-tournament window.
“If you can get through it and deliver something of substance, something authentic, something emotional, I think it does a lot for the way that people view you.”
Despite these moments of great sportsmanship, Roddick opined that losing players should have the option to skip the interview right after they lose, suggesting a simple, player-friendly rule change:
“It should just be the option of the runner-up. Just if they want to or not. Yeah, ‘I’m sorry. I’d like to say thanks to my team. Thank you for the opportunity’. Or: ‘I don’t think I can do it right now.’ I don’t know. Pretty simple. I know the TV networks won’t like that.”
This sensible compromise is likely to receive strong support from players navigating the raw emotions of defeat, even if it remains a difficult sell for broadcasters chasing dramatic television moments.
One Skill of Ben Shelton That Stands Out For Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick was all praise for Ben Shelton, after he ended Carlos Alcaraz’s campaign at the US Open last month. Even though it was Alcaraz’s first major event back from the four-month injury hiatus, he did not leave any gaps in his game. Roddick was quick to point out what gave Shelton that added element that led him to the win.
“It felt like such a massive growth match for Ben Shelton using that big lefty serve, running it in on his body at 145mph,” said Roddick on his podcast after the match.
“That’s a superpower he has which nobody on Earth has.”
However, his opinion on Shelton in July was entirely different. Right after his Wimbledon first-round exit to Otto Virtanen, Roddick gave a scathing review of Shelton and told that he needed to be more “tactically aware.”
And just two months later, he was able to change Roddick’s mind by adjusting his game as per the demands of the match against Alcaraz. When he lost to Alexander Zverev in the final of the US Open, he earned not just praise but respect on maintaining dignity in defeat.