John Isner calls Andy Roddick an ‘absolute bulldog’ with little talent as he discusses the former US Open winner’s impact on him
John Isner recounts being inspired by Andy Roddick.
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Andy Roddick (L) and John Isner (R) (Images via: The Times/ USOpen.org)
American tennis player, John Isner had some riveting things to say about the former Grand Slam champion Andy Roddick. Isner’s comment came in a press conference ahead of this year’s US Open, which is set to begin on Monday.
As this year marks the 20th anniversary of Roddick winning the 2003 US Open championship, Isner is all praises for the 40-year-old who had retired after playing in the US Open back in 2012. Now just a tournament away from his retirement, Isner recollects his memories of meetings with the 2007 Davis Cup winner.
On being questioned about what Andy Roddick’s legacy means to him, Isner simply replied that he liked how hard the 40-year-old worked. “I think he would admit, obviously he was talented, but I don’t think he was the most talented guy, by any means, but he was an absolute bulldog on the court, of course, but off the court in how he trained, how he took care of himself,” Isner said. “One of the hardest workers I think this sport has ever seen.”
Isner admitted that when he was in school, seeing Roddick win the US Open and then going on tour with him, he knew that he had a long way to go. The former tennis player was almost always in the top 10 because he worked hard each day. John explained that watching Roddick play was inspiring for him. He realized that he had to put in the work to be at the top of his game.
John Isner recounts beating Roger Federer
John Isner also recounted about beating the now-retired tennis player, Roger Federer at the 2012 Davis Cup. He defeated Federer over a series of 4 sets. He told the media that Federer lost because the court was very bad. There were “bad bounces” everywhere and his Swiss opponent didn’t like that. “I loved it. The worse the court, the better for me,” Isner remarked.
The 38-year-old defeated Federer with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 in a match at the Davis Cup in Switzerland. Isner also holds the record for playing the longest match in tennis history which lasted just a few minutes over 11 hours.
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Eeshita Dev
(231 Articles Published)