Andy Roddick claims there’s a former WTA player who was almost as dominant on clay as Rafael Nadal and has an ‘absurd’ record

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Andy Roddick thinks Chris Evert deserves more credit for one of her greatest tennis achievements.

The United States has produced many all-time great tennis players, and the 70–year-old is certainly part of that group.

Throughout her career, Chris Evert claimed 18 Grand Slam singles titles and an additional three majors in doubles.

But there are some other achievements of Evert’s that Andy Roddick thinks go under the radar and took some time to shed some light on.

Andy Roddick says Chris Evert did something on clay which was ‘absurd’

Evert is one of tennis’ greatest players and she made history by becoming the first ever WTA Tour World number one in 1975.

The American is also the only person to win the US Open on four successive occasions, from 1975 to 1978.

But the statistics that showcase Evert’s dominance on clay are some of her greatest accomplishments.

She won 382 matches on the surface with 22 defeats, giving Evert a staggering win percentage of 94.55%. Evert also 125 straight matches on a surface, greater than Rafael Nadal’s 81-match win streak.

During an episode of his ‘Served’ podcast, Roddick took the time to praise Evert for these achievements and said they need to be mentioned alongside Nadal’s incredible achievements on clay.

“Chrissy’s stats, if you read them back on clay, for a moment in time. They need to be discussed – and I am not saying they are the same as Rafa’s because they are not – but they need to be mentioned whenever anyone is talking about Rafa’s clay dominance,” Roddick said.

“I think we all give Chrissy all the flowers that she deserves but in the context of the conversation around dominance on one service, she needs to be right there in the first three names every single time.

“125 straight matches on a surface is over years. That is absurd. It needs to be right up there. As dominant as Pete was on grass, Chrissy was more dominant on clay.”

What did Chris Evert say about playing on clay?

Evert was the first player in the Open Era to dominate the clay, the slowest and highest-bouncing surface in the game.

She claimed seven French Open singles titles and, which was a record until Nadal broke it and doubled the tally by ending his career with 14 Roland Garros championships.

During an interview with The New York Times in June 2024, Evert explained why she was so good at playing on clay. “I had so much more confidence playing at the French Open than anywhere else,” she said.

“On the court, on clay, I felt like no one was going to beat me. This is the surface I grew up on. It suits me perfectly.

“No one can overpower me. No one can blow me off the court. I am more patient than anyone. I’m going to hit with depth and placement and just wear them down.”