Andy Roddick reveals ‘best competitor’ he faced – and it’s not Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer
Andy Roddick has named the “best competitor” he “ever played against”, and it is not a member of the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
The 2003 US Open winner singled out his former rival Lleyton Hewitt, who he admitted he shared “a lot of ugly moments” with.
Hewitt turned professional in 1998 and retired from singles in 2016, while he continued to compete in doubles in 2020.
The Australian great secured 30 ATP singles titles, including two Grand Slams, two ATP Finals crowns and two Masters series titles.
Hewitt defeated Pete Sampras in the 2001 US Open final and David Nalbandian in the 2002 Wimbledon final, and he was a runner-up at the 2004 US Open and the 2005 Australian Open.
He spent 80 weeks as the world No 1, which puts him 10th on the all-time list for the most weeks on top of the ATP Rankings, while he was the year-end No 1 in 2001 and 2002.
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Hewitt and Roddick contested 14 matches between 2001 and 2012, with the head-to-head record split at 7-7. The Aussie won six of the first seven encounters before the American made a comeback in the rivalry.
Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Roddick picked Hewitt as the best competitor he played in his career.
“We are fine now… I think mutual respect eventually wins out. But we had a lot of ugly moments, someone who is probably the best competitor I ever played against. He’s never in his professional life had the best shot on the court, as far as pace or speed or spin, and yet he got to No 1 and won two majors — is Lleyton Hewitt,” the former world No 1 said.
“Tennis IQ… imagine, like, not serving hard at all and winning doubles Slams, winning singles Slams, beating Pete [Sampras] in the US Open final.”
Following Novak Djokovic’s appointment of Andy Murray as his new coach, Roddick hailed the Brit’s “tennis IQ.”
“I think Murray might have the highest tennis IQ I have ever seen and been around,” the American said on his podcast.
“He’s competed with these kind of superheroes without the biggest shot on the court and without being faster than them.
“He is a master of nuance, he is the master of scouting reports, he knows everything backwards, he’s a detail-oriented guy.
“You are not going to get into Novak’s ear by giving him lazy vagaries, you need some thought behind it.”
