With American tennis looking like it might turn a corner, Andy Roddick assessed the players leading the charge.
Andy Roddick is no stranger to demanding high standards in tennis, with the former world number one the last American man to win a singles grand-slam.
Having witnessed the rise of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, Roddick and his fellow American players have been somewhat left behind, unable to topple these three giants.
On the women’s side there has been slightly more breakthrough, with Sloane Stephens, Sofia Kenin, and Coco Gauff all winning major titles since the retirement of Venus and Serena Williams.
A recent surge on the men’s side however sees five men now in the top 30, with this solid crop of American players pushing further into the latter stages of grand slams.
Andy Roddick highlights the American player he has been really impressed with
So far it has been an impressive grass-court season from American players, with both Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul making the last eight at Wimbledon.
On his podcast Served with Andy Roddick, the former US number one outlined how impressed he’s been with Paul’s career turnaround and recent success.
Roddick said: “As far as being a complete player, front of the court, back of the net, can move, can volley. He is one of the most well-rounded players in the world.
“I’ll just plain speak it. He made horrible decisions when he was young and first on tour. He didn’t treat it like a job. And credit to him. I almost think it’s more impressive when you’re not built that way and you find it. I was obsessed and it manifested itself in me working my way out of the game,” he admitted.
“I am really happy for him because you don’t see a lot of guys who have his reputation, when he’s going out and making a bunch of wrong decisions and you’re able to flip it and become a great player. I think that’s such a great progression for him. I’m really impressed by it.”
An impressive win at Queen’s club saw Paul come past four top 30 players on his way to the title, which as a result meant he became the American number one ahead of Fritz.
Tommy Paul is enjoying the best period of his tennis career
It’s not always been smooth sailing for Paul despite his cool demeanor on the court.
At 27-years-old, Paul has not had the sudden entrance onto the scene as a handful of his compatriots such as Shelton have.
Keeping up with the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is no easy feat, yet Paul has beaten both during his career, with two wins against the Spaniard, and one against Italy’s number one.
As Roddick pointed out, Paul has a remarkable and varied album of shots, with his powerful forehand and tidy footwork enabling a game perfectly suited to multiple surfaces.
As one of Team USA’s players at the Olympics, Paul will hope to build on his third round finish at the French Open when he returns to Paris next week.
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