Jimmy Connors reveals what Andy Roddick was really like when he was coaching him

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Jimmy Connors shared what it was like to be Andy Roddick’s tennis coach.

The 71-year-old was one of the best tennis players of all time and won more overall titles than any other player with 109.

He had a long career that spanned 24 years and a decade after he stopped playing he decided to step into the world of coaching.

The first player Jimmy Connors took under his wing was his compatriot Andy Roddick, who was one of the world’s best players at the time and possessed a sensational serve.

What did Jimmy Connors say about coaching Andy Roddick?

Connors appeared on the latest episode of ‘Advantage Connors’ podcast where he spoke about the time he spent coaching the 2003 US Open champion.

The 41-year-old was ranked Number 10 when Connors came on board in July 2006 and by November of that year, Roddick was back in the top five.

He also reached the final of that year’s US Open, but as was so often the case in Roddick’s career, he was beaten by Roger Federer.

The partnership ended in March 2008 when Roddick was ranked at number six, and Connors looks back on that time with fond memories.

“It was very cool when I worked with Andy Roddick. Travelling with him. He had already won a Grand Slam, so the change that was going to be made to a former Grand Slam champion was minute,” Connors said.

“It was interesting finding just that little bit that would try to help him get to the next level. I treated coaching like I treated my own career, I think I wanted him to win more than he wanted to win! I was so proud of him because he listened and he knew. I said if you trust me, I want you to get better.

“I am one of those guys who wants him to go and win and win every time he gets out there. But I said if you trust me I can help me. If you doubt me, tell me now, it’s not going to work out.

“He did and he had for the time we’re together, had some pretty darn good success. Plus he’s a really good kid. It was fun.”

What did Jimmy Connors want to change in Andy Roddick’s game?

Connors spoke about wanting to take Roddick’s game to the next level when he began to coach him. Roddick possessed arguably the best serve in the game in the early 2000’s, and had a solid forehand to go with it.

But there was one shot in particular that Connors felt he could help Roddick to improve and explained how he tried to achieve that.

“He had the biggest serve in the game at the time and had a huge weapon with his serve and his forehand. His backhand was a little suspect,” Connors added. “And I saw that he could get more out of that.

“Trying to get him to take so much risk and extend and get more of his body behind it and get through the ball a bit more, which gave him more power and control.”