Andy Roddick only ever reached the third round of the Olympic singles at the 2004 Athens games.
Tennis at the Olympics is often a peculiar case, with the jury still somewhat out on how important an event it is.
This year’s was perhaps the most blatant marker that this debate is still ongoing, with both injuries and deliberate skips putting forward fields without some of the biggest stars.
Novak Djokovic however has never been less sure about how much he values the Games, with the last three years of his career being complete and utterly built around the Paris Olympics.
The final was an exhibition of everything tennis should be, with both Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz clapping each other’s moments of brilliance, as well as fiercely revving up the crowd.
With a 50/50 split of Spanish and Serbian flags, it all came together to make the perfect case for the Olympics to be considered a tournament right at the top of the sport.
Andy Roddick reacts to Novak Djokovic’s historic Olympic gold
Andy Roddick has been a revelation to tennis coverage in recent years, with his first-hand experiences against all the ‘Big Four’ enabling him to provide expert analysis and insight.
Clearly in awe of the scale of Djokovic’s achievement he wrote on X: “The willpower. Can’t explain the effort I just witnessed from Nole. GOAT.
“To get one last chance, tell everyone what your priority is, and the deliver against the current best. Emotional stuff. Lucky to see it. Props.”
Djokovic responded simply with “Thank you Andy,” before the American reinforced his wonder at the champion, replying, “Well deserved. Enjoy. Respect.”
The tennis landscape certainly feels altered after Djokovic’s Olympic win, as he makes his case as the greatest player of all time even more difficult to disagree with.
A fan of Roddick’s podcast also commented, suggesting: “Book him for the next podcast episode……” to which Roddick replied without hesitation: “Would have him absolutely anytime.”
So what was Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick’s rivalry like?
Roddick left his tennis with a remarkable record against Djokovic and will always remain the overall winner in their head-to-head (5-4).
While the American’s major success was found in the early 2000s, with his 2003 US Open victory, he still won the lion’s share of their contests.
Djokovic had the last laugh in some ways by winning their last two meetings, including a thrashing at the London 2012 Olympics.
With Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray all having lost more times than they won against the Serb, Roddick retired from tennis with one of the most unusual, misleading, but nonetheless incredibly impressive records.
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