Andy Roddick, a tennis player turned podcaster, has always been vocal about his opinions on various topics in the tennis world. But there is someone who made him speechless during his playing career, and it is none other than his idols! Revealing his personal anecdote while talking about a nostalgic image of Coco Gauff and Venus Williams, fans got a glimpse of his experience of meeting his idol at the tennis court.
In a heartwarming turn of events, an image of nine-year-old Coco Gauff sitting right behind his idol Venus Williams during the 2012 Wimbledon surfaced on the internet. It received an immense amount of love from the fans and Coco Gauff herself. Andy Roddick also pointed out how later in the years she played against Venus Williams and beat her. While narrating this story, Roddick went down his memory line and shared a similar moment when he met his idols, Andre Agassi, and Pete Sampras during his career. “We are all inspired by our tennis heroes. I remember the first time I got to be around André, I could barely speak. Which, if you know me, this is normally not an issue. I was so scared but also inspired,” he said during a podcast.
Andy Roddick further added, “Because I got to see my heroes play in person. So it’s almost a ride of passage. You watch it, and then you want to do it, and then you play against them. And I get goosebumps talking about it because it’s such a special experience.” Both Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were at the top of the world rankings when they played tennis. Their rivalry during the early 2000s was a delight to watch for their fans.
With 14 major singles titles to his name, Sampras ended his career at Wimbledon in 2002 after defeating Andre Agassi.
“Agassi is a hero to me,” declares Andy Roddick
After remaining at the top for a total of 286 weeks, Andy inspired many tennis fans and sports enthusiasts. But not to forget his on-court rival, Olympic gold medalist Agassi, who is also considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. During his two decades of playing and gaining 17 Masters titles, he took his retirement in 2006.
Roddick played at the same time and won the US Open title in 2003, right after Pete Sampras. During those times, he got the golden opportunity to play at the same time as his idols. Not only that, Roddick played with Agassi six times on the court. And even now, when he reflects on those days, he is full of respect for him.
In 2015, Andy Roddick admitted his lifelong admiration for Agassi. He played with him during several one-day exhibitions later in his career. Even though he admitted that more often their matches were in favor of Agassi, he mentioned the thrill that he experienced during the games.
“Andre Agassi is a hero to me. He was someone who was very instrumental to my career early on. He never preached to me, but he always made it known that he was available for any questions,” Roddick said. Roddick never backs down from his example during a match to show Agassi’s contribution to the tennis world.
The story gained further resonance from Andy Roddick’s touching admission, highlighting the significant influence of mutual moments of inspiration and adoration in the sports world.
