Andy Roddick has been talking on his podcast once again, this time weighing into the GOAT debate.
This marks murky waters, as subjectivity is so often rife when it comes to such an argument.
Many will argue that titles trump all else, whilst there is a solid argument for the impression that one leaves on a sport measuring up more than that.
However, Roddick was left in no uncertainty about who he found the toughest. We take a closer look at his comments…
Who was Andy Roddick’s hardest-ever opponent?
Having faced up against some of tennis’ most pivotal figures, as a man who towed a few different generations of tennis, Roddick is best placed to weigh in on the GOAT debate.
And whilst he actually boasts a positive record against the mighty Novak Djokovic, and was beaten more often than not than Rafael Nadal, it was Roger Federer who stood out for him.
This was abundantly clear in the statistics though, as he won just three of their 24 matchups. Remarkable consistency from the Swiss superstar.
Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, he would note: ’Very simply, I saw prime Federer. It was the hardest match-up that I had ever seen. Right. He was the best player who stacked up against my game type, so therefore he’s the last person I would want to play.
‘My life on the line, he’s the last guy I’d want to play.’
Roger Federer revolutionised tennis
Whilst Djokovic may have all the titles, and Nadal had the pure unadulterated physicality, Federer offered a mix of both alongside a grace that we may never see in tennis ever again.
Especially with the steady decline of the one-handed backhand!
With 20 Grand Slam titles to his name, and plenty of records to his name as well, the 42-year-old was efficiency and elegance wrapped in one tennis player, as Roddick learnt the hard way.
The record Federer boasted over the former world number one was indicative of the dominance he exhibited, brushing aside most other competition and very often thwarting Nadal too.
His emergence revolutionised tennis, as he ushered in this new age of generational talents who in turn have taken the sport to the next level.
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