Andy Roddick Sucks
Andy Roddick sucks.
His appearance (if you can even call it that, it was more like a cameo) in this year’s French Open, the first major event of 2006, was nothing more than despicable. Roddick was playing on a twisted ankle, painful yes. But enough to make you quit, hardly. That’s what one would think and expect of a professional athlete; but it wasn’t the case with Andy Roddick, who’s pretty much becoming the little bitch of men’s professional tennis.
Down two sets to none and playing in the first game of the third set, Roddick called time so his trainer could take a look at his ankle (which, so I don’t come off as a complete asshole, he had honestly injured a week earlier). His trainer said there was no danger in continuing the match, but Roddick bowed out anyway. A total lack of effort for which Andy Roddick should be ashamed of himself.
Before I go any further, I want to stress two things. One, and most importantly, I am not a tennis expert or a tennis fan for that matter. There aren’t too many sports that I know less about than tennis (there’s maybe like 11 sports that I know less about). And secondly, I realize that the French Open is pretty much the cruelest of all major tournaments for American tennis players. I know that because American players favor killer serves that they don’t play well on clay (the clay slows down their serve and makes volleying easier). See, I know this. Now, let me get back to Andy Roddick.
Even if Andy Roddick had no shot at winning from the get go, there’s no reason not to try. I’d have rather have seen him just stay home and say, “you know what guys, I might get past the first or second round, but that’s it. Yeah, I think I’ll just stay at home for this one.” Why did he make the trip to France if his ankle hurt and he wasn’t going to try? What kind of pussy move is that?
But let’s look at the bigger picture concerning Andy Roddick. Majors aside, he hasn’t won a tournament of any kind since his triumph at the 2003 US Open as a 21 year old. He’ll be turning 24 very soon and he’s dangerously approaching his tennis prime without making much headway. When Roddick won the 2003 Open he was being hailed as the next great American tennis pro; and America has quite the history of great tennis players. Connors, McEnroe, Sampras, Agassi, Roddick; that’s how it was supposed to be. And Roddick’s career thus far has been very underwhelming.
I don’t know Andy Roddick personally and it feels kind of strange attacking him like this, which wasn’t my attention. I’ve tried to play tennis (I even took lessons as a kid) and it is truly a hard sport to master. I root for Andy Roddick to do well just as I would any Americans and, to tell you the truth, I feel like he’s gotten a raw deal. He’s put on a pedestal because people, fans, writers, want so badly for him to be that next great star.
It might be time for us to realize that; maybe, Andy Roddick’s not that good. He still banged Mandy Moore, what the fuck have you done with your life?
