"Worst decision I ever made" - Taylor Swift US Open snub revisited by veteran entertainment producer in candid confession to Andy Roddick
At the 2003 US Open, where Andy Roddick won his only Major, a young Taylor Swift was hopeful of making her third-straight appearance at the hard-court Grand Slam. Swift had impressed with her renditions of the USA's national anthem and 'America the Beautiful' at the 2001 and 2002 US Open respectively.
However, entertainment producer Michael Fiur rejected Swift for the 2003 edition. Recently, Fiur revealed the incident in a conversation with Roddick.
Right now, Taylor Swift is one of the most influential singer-songwriters in the world. Her exemplary work in music has earned her 14 Grammy Awards, and she has also established herself as an entrepreneur.
However, there was a time way before Swift's present-day global superstardom, when she was making a name for herself as a young talent. After her 2001 and 2002 US Open appearances, there was once again a chance for her to shine at Flushing Meadows in 2003. Entertainment producer Michael Fiur though, had other ideas.
Recently, Fiur featured as a guest on the Served With Andy Roddick podcast. During his conversation with Andy Roddick, a former World No. 1 and 2003 US Open winner, the veterain entertainment producer revealed that he snubbed Swift because he thought she was "really country" at the time and that would not work in New York.
"Her father asked us if we’d put her on Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, and we said, 'She’s just taking off, she’s really country; we don’t think that would play in New York,'," Michael Fiur told Andy Roddick.
He went on to admit that it is the 'worst decision' he has made in his career.
"And I do not share this publicly very often. Worst decision I ever made," the producer added.
At this year's US Open, Taylor Swift made her way to the Arthur Ashe Stadium with boyfriend Travis Kelce to watch the men's singles final between Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner.
Meanwhile, Andy Roddick himself is an avid follower of Swift for both her musical prowess and her political views.
Andy Roddick attended Taylor Swift's Eras Tour last year; recently promoted pop icon's endorsement of Kamala Harris
The Eras Tour in 2023 was Taylor Swift's second all-stadium tour, and it was internationally acclaimed. Andy Roddick went to watch the immersive three-hour-plus concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Friday, June 30, 2023. The former World No. 1 later took to X (Twitter at the time) and shared a snippet of Swift performing "...Ready For It?".
Roddick, via a post on X, backed Swift recently after she disclosed that she would be voting for Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential elections.
"She signed the endorsement Childless Cat Lady ………. [microphone emoji] fell all the way down," Roddick wrote, referring to the phrase Swift used to conclude the caption of her Instagram post, through which she confirmed that she would be voting for Harris.
Roddick's wife, Brooklyn Decker, who is also a Taylor Swift enthusiast, supported the pop icon's endorsement of Harris as well.