"On the heels of Pete, Andre, and that whole group, Jim Courier, they were obviously looking for that next guy" - Andy Roddick reflects on dealing with pressures of being the next big hope of American tennis

Andy Roddick reflects on his playing days and dealing with pressure of expectations

Andy Roddick felt a lot of responsibility once he was seen as the 'next big hope' to carry forward the legacy of American tennis during his playing days. The former American tennis superstar admitted that he dealt with the pressure of expectations ever since he broke onto the professional circuit.

Roddick succeeded in his quest to become a Grand Slam champion by winning the 2003 US Open, and also became the World No. 1 shortly after. Roddick, who will soon turn 40, recently opened up about being termed the 'Great American Hope' back in the day, emulating the likes of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Jim Courier, among others.

Speaking to the New York Post, the big-serving former player reflected on how it all affected his tennis.

"Obviously on the heels of Pete [Sampras], Andre [Agassi], and that whole group, Jim Courier, they were obviously looking for that next guy," Andy Roddick said. "It didn’t affect me day-to-day that much, but I certainly felt a responsibility towards it."

5 de septiembre de 2012
Hace 7 años el gran Andy Roddick (🇺🇲) se retiraba del tenis tras caer ante del Potro (🇦🇷) en octavos de final del US Open. Una verdadera jornada emotiva la que se vivía en el Arthur Ashe. https://t.co/81Wc0DExXc

Roddick also stated that the talk about his 'potential' as a tennis player added to the pressure. He felt he hadn't achieved anything substantial to be included in the bracket of some of those great players as long as the talk about potential continued.

"There’s certainly a pressure set involved with that. I felt a lot of responsibility towards it. I think it largely affected the way I went about working, which I was always a pretty good worker. It’s not something that I felt entitled to, I felt like it was a headline, but I felt like as long as they were using the word potential that I hadn’t actually done anything yet," Andy Roddick said further.

Roddick retired in 2012 after playing the same tournament that earned him the biggest success of his professional career - the US Open. He was also a three-time Wimbledon finalist, losing all three finals to Roger Federer. Their third and last Wimbledon final, in 2009, was considered one of the greatest Grand Slam finals ever.

Andy Roddick
2003 US Open Champion 🗽
D. Juan Carlos Ferrero

Other slam best results:
AO - SF (03, 05, 07, 09)
FO - 4R (09)
Wimbledon - F (04, 05, 09) https://t.co/DfijdlCjYs

"Didn’t really feel any different pressure playing from No. 1" - Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick further reflected on the stress after becoming the top-ranked player in the world in men's tennis, revealing that he did not feel any specific pressure of the No. 1 ranking. For Roddick, the task of getting to the top ranking was a lot more challenging. Once he got there, navigating tournaments, including Grand Slams, did not feel a lot different to his past experiences.

"Well that was only for a cup of coffee for me (laugh)," joked the former American player, before adding, "I didn’t really feel any different pressure playing from No. 1. If you’re in the semis of a major, and you’re seeded No. 1 … Essentially at that point it’s written next to your name."

On this day in 2003, Andy Roddick became World No. 1 for the first time.

Roddick joined a list of all-time 🇺🇸 greats including Sampras, Agassi, Connors, McEnroe & Courier to top the ATP rankings. https://t.co/D4eqYtulLH

Roddick first rose to the World No. 1 ranking in November 2003, shortly after winning the US Open. He spent a total of 13 weeks in the top spot.

"I think getting there was a lot of pressure because you obviously want that career-high ranking and you want that distinction. And so I felt the pressure trying to get there, but once I kinda had it, it wasn’t any different trying to navigate a tournament as the 1 seed and the 3 seed, really," he further said on his time as the No. 1.

After his retirement, Andy Roddick returned for a doubles tournament in 2015, playing in the Atlanta Open alongside Mardy Fish. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame back in 2017.