The last American man to win a Grand Slam — Andy Roddick's 2003 US Open and 155mph serve defined US tennis for a decade.
Andrew Stephen Roddick was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1982 and turned professional in 2000, winning the US Open in 2003 and reaching world number one — the last American man to hold the ranking. He retired in 2012 with 32 ATP titles and 9,074 career aces — his serve, consistently exceeding 140 mph, was the fastest and most powerful of his era. He held the world number one ranking for 13 weeks and was year-end number one in 2003. He won the Davis Cup with the United States in 2007. His career was defined as much by near-misses as by his one Slam — he lost 3 Wimbledon finals to Roger Federer (2004, 2005, 2009), including the 2009 final that went to 16-14 in the fifth set — one of the closest Wimbledon finals in history. His 2009 Wimbledon final performance — giving Federer his most competitive final of the decade — is widely considered his finest achievement. He retired abruptly at the 2012 US Open, his home Slam, in an emotional farewell. He was a prominent advocate for player rights and served on the ATP Board of Directors. He later became a successful businessman and tennis commentator.
US Open 2003
His serve was recorded at 155mph in 2004 — the fastest ever recorded at the time.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- US Open 2003
- Year-end No.1 2003
- Davis Cup 2007 (USA)
- 32 ATP titles
- 9,074 career aces
- Wimbledon finalist 2004, 2005, 2009 (lost all to Federer)