Andy Roddick has always been a huge champion of American talent in tennis, desperate to see those who come up avoid making the same mistakes he did.
And whilst the former world number one certainly enjoyed a fruitful career, the words he offered to Darwin Blanch before his match with Rafael Nadal last month were indicative of how much he cares.
He is clearly a compassionate and insightful pundit, who simply loves the sport that gave him everything.
His latest guest on his podcast, who is one of his country’s most red-hot players at the moment, effectively typifies the undying spirit he so often lauds.
Andy Roddick compares Danielle Collins to US tennis legend
Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, he welcomed Danielle Collins onto the show with interest.
After all, she is one of the most in-form players in the world at the moment, and just continues to go from strength to strength in her final year of playing.
However, before she left, she wanted to reverse the roles and instead pose Roddick a question. She asked if he might have some advice for her as she seeks to maintain her good form.
The 41-year-old was unsurprisingly complimentary in his reply: ‘For on court now? I wouldn’t tell you a damn thing right now with the way you’ve been playing. Right now, no chance. Set yourself up in the middle of the court and just distribute the way you’ve been doing it.
‘We were walking after Charleston I said the way you’re playing reminds me a little bit of my idol Andre Agassi, where he would set himself up right in the middle, can go line, can go cross, but it was always on you in a hurry, you always felt like you were rushed and it never stopped. It was suffocating.
‘There is not a chance with the way that you’ve been playing that I would give you a piece of advice. Keep doing it, keep enjoying it. Enjoy the rest of the year. We’ve enjoyed watching you.’
Danielle Collins is enjoying a stunning end to her career
Coming into 2024, Collins had only ever surpassed the Round of 16 stage at a Grand Slam tournament on three occasions, and had a mere two titles to her name.
Now, whilst the former remains unchanged, although it very well could in the coming months, she has actually doubled the number of singles tournaments won, even claiming her first-ever Masters 1000 success in Miami.
Few foresaw such a remarkable turnaround, but ever since announcing her retirement, she has been near unstoppable.
There are few on the WTA with more wins than her at this stage in the season, and with this trajectory, she is on course to gatecrash the top ten for the first time in two years.
The 30-year-old deserves this, and it is refreshing to see someone like her come into her own at last.
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