It was the year 2003. Andy Roddick was into his maiden final of a Grand Slam tournament at the US Open. The American star had a promising junior career and was destined to become one of the elite players in men’s tennis. Further, in the summit clash of the 2003 US Open, he defeated Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero to win the biggest title of his career.
Subsequently, he reached the top of the ATP singles rankings. After this achievement, Roddick made it to the finals of Grand Slams on several occasions without any success. Recently, he opened up about playing in the Kalamazoo junior tennis tournament.
Andy Roddick explains his brother’s actions at the Kalamazoo junior tennis tournament
During the Kasich & Klepper Podcast, Roddick was asked about his experience playing in the Kalamazoo junior tennis tournament. He said, “I actually came on this show not to talk about anything to do with tennis or life or politics or anything else, it was more just to thank you for setting me on the right course for my career, but no in all seriousness, Kalamazoo is like this weird tournament where for the first time you actually feel this like pressure set right.”
READ MORE: ‘Throw Up Every 20 Minutes’ – Eugenie Bouchard Recounts Her Disaster Date With a Guy on a Beach
Further, he added, “I came in one year, so my brother played before me, was a good player, made I think, he might have made the finals of Kalamazoo but one time this is probably four or five years before I got there, he had a bit of a temper on him, fired a ball what was meant to go at the backstop right and you know, how like the stands are right above, it hits a little girl in the stands, kind of he got elevated on him, hits the girl. She starts crying, probably 10-year-old girl. He then, against kind of anyone’s better judgment like two or three points later, was like, can someone shut that girl up.”
Roddick on the hostile crowd behavior in Kalamazoo
Talking about the crowd behavior, Roddick said, “I remember going to Kalamazoo and I was the number one seed and it’s a big deal, right when you’re a junior, you get to play on the center court at Stowe Stadium and there’s actually like people there for the first time ever and we have, you know, extraordinary, extra extraordinary ball kids such as yourself and I remember them introducing me on center court. I’m like, this is going to be great. I’m the number one seed, number one in the country and they start booing me. It was the most heartbreaking thing of all time like my damn brother hit that girl that’s what it is.”
WATCH THIS STORY: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and Others In The Greatest Comebacks in Tennis
Earlier, Roddick congratulated Djokovic for his impressive performance at the Wimbledon Championships 2022. The Serb lifted his 21st Grand Slam title with his victory over Nick Kyrgios.
The post ‘Most Heartbreaking Thing of All Time’ – Andy Roddick Says His Brother’s Actions Resulted in People Booing Him at the Kalamazoo Junior Tennis Tournament appeared first on EssentiallySports.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Essentially Sports
