"If I said anything else, it would be out of jealousy or spite" - When Andy Roddick joked about Roger Federer's hair being his only negative trait
Andy Roddick once refrained from saying anything negative about Roger Federer, except for a dig at his hairstyle.
Roddick and Federer faced each other 24 times on tour, with the Swiss winning in 21 of those encounters. Despite the lopsided nature of their head-to-head record, they established one of the most thrilling rivalries in the sport. One of their notable clashes took place in the 2005 Wimbledon final.
In a rematch of the previous year's final, the Swiss triumphed over Roddick once again, securing a 6-2, 7-6(2), 6-4 victory to clinch his third Wimbledon and fifth Grand Slam title.
In his post-match press conference, Roddick shed light on their exchange at the net, disclosing that he had simply congratulated Federer on his triumph.
The American also emphasized his profound respect for the Swiss and humorously recalled telling him that while he would love to hate him due to the one-sided nature of their rivalry. Federer's amiable personality made it impossible for him to do so, though.
"I just said, "Congratulations." There's not much else to say. I have loads of respect for him, as a person as well. I told him, I've told him before, "I'd love to hate you, but you're really nice"," he said.
Amid all the gushing praise for the Swiss, Roddick was asked if he had anything negative to say about him. The American joked that with Federer shedding his ponytail, a look he sported in the 2004 Wimbledon final, he had eliminated the one negative trait he had.
Roddick also added that any other criticism he had for the Swiss would seem motivated by jealousy or spite.
"Well, he cut his hair. That's all we had going for us before. There's not much to say other than, you know, if I said anything else, it would be out of jealousy or out of me wanting to win or out of spite," he said.
Roger Federer and Andy Roddick met four times at Wimbledon
Andy Roddick and Roger Federer locked horns eight times at Grand Slams, with the Swiss emerging victorious on each occasion. Half of their meetings at the Majors took place at Wimbledon.
The duo faced off at SW19 for the first time in the 2003 semifinals. The Swiss claimed a 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-3 victory over Roddick before triumphing over Mark Philippoussis in the final to clinch his maiden Wimbledon title
He successfully defended his title in 2004, beating Roddick 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(3), 6-4 in the summit clash. The Swiss won his third consecutive title at the grasscourt Major in 2005, emerging victorious against the American in the final once again.
Their final clash at SW19 took place in the 2009 final. After a closely contested battle, the Swiss claimed a hard-fought 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 3-6, 16-14 victory over Roddick to record his sixth Wimbledon title.
In doing so, he also clinched his record-breaking 15th Grand Slam singles title, surpassing Pete Sampras' tally to become the all-time leader.