Rick Macci is no stranger to greatness. The legendary coach has been the driving force behind some of the most iconic tennis careers, guiding the likes of Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, and countless others to stardom. Among the extraordinary names etched into his journey is none other than Andy Roddick, a player who defined American tennis for years. And as Macci reflects on his time with Roddick, he can’t help but beam with pride.

The American tennis coach and former player started working with Roddick in 1992. The duo shared some great moments together, with Macci helping the fierce player amp up his skills. Now, sharing an interesting trait about his mentee, who bid adieu to the sport in 2012, Macci shared that he was one of the most fiery and determined players he ever coached. 

Taking to X, Macci wrote, “The little guy was the most fiesty determined boy I ever taught. Andy Roddick and his thirst for competition was like no other. His wiring was cut from a competitive cloth that just loved to battle. No matter what size or Age the Texas Cowboy had that burning Rage. @andyroddick.” These aspects, shared by Macci can be well understood by looking at the stats of Roddick. 

The former World No.1 had an impressive win-loss ratio of 612-213. While he could win the Grand Slam only once at the 2003 US Open, he proved his mettle time and again and qualified for the Australian Open semi-finals thrice. Besides, he also amassed 32 titles in his career, which very well gives evidence of his competitive and fierce side. In fact, Roddick is the last American ATP player to have clinched a Grand Slam title, that has remained away from the American players since then. This, however, is not the first time when Macci has expressed his admiration for Roddick. 

In an interaction with Eric Han in 2021, Macci revealed how it was to coach a young Andy Roddick. Calling him one of the “best juniors in the world,” Macci shared, “I saw this little mosquito- that’s what I called him… Like a mosquito, he was just always bothering everybody but in a good way. He was just always there, pesty, feisty.” Continuing further, he added, “Of all the boys (I coached), I really enjoyed coaching Andy. He was a competitor. We were cut from the same cloth.” And it is for this remarkable trait, that Macci once highlighted how Roddick’s career would look like, had Roger Federer wouldn’t have been in the picture.

Rick Macci once discussed Andy Roddick’s probable career in Roger Federer’s absence

Andy Roddick’s rise on the tennis courts is still admired by many. However, there was one that continuously created trouble for Roddick and it was Roger Federer. And Macci believes that if it was not for Federer, Roddick would have definitely amassed more Grand Slams than he actually did.

Discussing the same in an exclusive interaction with EssentiallySports in 2023, Macci said, “He (Roddick) not only had the biggest serve back then, he had the highest percentage. It’s one thing to hit it hard, it’s one thing to get it in. He just loved competition so much. Roddick had very few bad losses. He was always in the top 10.” Continuing further, he shared, “So, if there’s no Federer, he would have had 5 or 6 grand slams for sure. Because he has beaten all those guys.” And this cannot be ignored completely. 

For the unversed, Federer and Roddick played each other 24 times with the American winning only three matches. Many of his defeats came in crucial stages like the semi-finals and the finals of Grand Slams. But all those are stories of the past now. The future will definitely remember Roddick as one of the most successful players on the circuit. It will be interesting to see if Macci continues to share more anecdotes and traits of his mentees, taking fans down memory lane.