Roddick: An American Sports Hero

So Andy Roddick only has one Grand Slam title to his name.....so he’s never going to surpass Pete Sampras’ all time record of 14 major titles, but the fact remains; A-Rod is an American sports hero.  Andy’s recent Davis Cup clinching victory over Paul-Henri Mathieu shows just how much heart the 25 year-old has, and how much passion he has for the game.  Here are prime examples of why Roddick is paving the way towards a heroic American sports resume:

• A true patriot: Andy is 10-0 life time in clinching Davis Cup match situations; showing that he can play under pressure and rise to the occasion when his country calls.
• He has a 29-9 career Davis Cup record, trailing only John McEnroe (41) and Andre Agassi (30).  It’s inevitable that A-Rod will match Andre, and could very well leap over Johnny Mac’s record, needless to say that is an impressive list of legends
• Shows class in the eye of criticism:  We all remember the “What happened to Andy’s Mojo” days at the 2005 US Open.  That was the low point of Andy’s career, as the commercial played throughout the tournament, while he watched on the sidelines after an embarrassing first round loss.  Many people considered Roddick's career to be "finished” at that point, but Andy faced the ridicule with class, and continues to rise to the occasion and hang in the top 5. 
• An over-achiever:  If you speak with Andy, or read any interview that he’s done, he will mention how grateful he is to be ranked in the top 5, and that fact that he would’ve been pleased with a consistent top 100 ATP career.  A-Rod's game skyrocked "overnight" in the USTA juniors.  I remember my tennis friends (who were ranked in the top 50 nationally) used to call me after a junior tournament saying “I lost to Roddick in 3 sets” or “I beat Roddick for a pretty solid win.”  These players ended up having solid NCAA college careers; while Andy, literally went on to win a US Open less than 24 months later.  We still talk about it to this day, how he was able to make such leaps in his game; going from losing to USTA juniors, to beating top pros “overnight."
• Love for the:  The main reason that Roddick will have great longevity on tour and continued success is because he genuinely loves the sport of tennis, as if he were a fan on the sidelines.  While most pro players chose not to watch tennis during their time away from the game, Roddick can often be seen, during his days off, watching a match or cheering on his friends on tour. 
• Not scared to make bold moves: A-Rod is engaged to be married, (what more can you say).
• He “is” American Men’s Tennis:  Along with James Blake, A-Rod has carried the torch for American tennis for half a decade, and has kept U.S. fans interested.  When I was working in TV out in Iowa, it wasn’t a huge tennis community; the Hawkeyes and Corn Huskers ruled the football scene.  Regardless, Andy’s picture continued to pop up on the local news, and on billboards, because of his tie to Omaha and loyalty to Nebraska sports; just one example of how popular he is around American sports. 

FINAL THOUGHT

Andy has faced a lot of negative press since winning his first and only grand slam trophy 5 years ago, but he has maintained his confidence, and will continue to let his racquet do the talking for years to come.