For decades, American tennis set the gold standard with icons like Connors, McEnroe, Sampras, and Agassi ruling the sport, a legacy today’s rising stars are fighting to reclaim. Despite strong performances this season, no U.S. player made the final of the last Slam, where Carlos Alcaraz outdueled Jannik Sinner. Andy Roddick, on his Served podcast, didn’t hold back in voicing what that says about American tennis.

Americans have been chasing a Slam title for a while. Constantly receiving comparisons to the legends of the past, like Pete Sampras with 14 Slams, Andre Agassi with 8, Jimmy Connors with 8, and John McEnroe with 7. On the women’s side, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys have both broken records, winning Slams at Melbourne and Paris. But on the men’s side? It’s been tough. Especially at the US Open, where Andy Roddick was the last American champion, back in 2003, when he defeated Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final.

According to Roddick, while Sinner and Alcaraz stand in the way right now, it shouldn’t diminish the work of the current generation striving to bring US glory back or invite unfair comparisons to past champions. He told Jon Wertheim on the podcast, “It’s not the same! It’s not the same as 10 years ago, when the No. 1 seed, the highest-ranked American, was 25 in the World. And there were seven in the main draw. We have to be able to think in a sober way about progress. Like, if we can’t celebrate progress, then we’re just lazy. There are 23 men in the US Open this year, the highest number in f*** knows how long.” And he’s right!

As he mentioned, 23 US players entered the main draw this year. That includes Taylor Fritz, fourth seed; Ben Shelton, sixth seed; Tommy Paul, 14th seed; and Frances Tiafoe, 17th seed. All players who have reached Slam semifinals before, with Fritz even making a final last season! Not to mention their strong runs this season.

“We have four current American players who made the semis of a Grand Slam. Tommy Paul’s made it. Frances has done it twice. Ben’s done it twice. And some quarters on top of that. Taylor Fritz is now a finalist, a regular quarterfinalist, a semifinalist at Wimbledon. This isn’t the same conversation that it was 10 years ago. It’s just not,” Andy Roddick lamented.

In the 2025 Grand Slams, American players have shown major promise. Fritz reached the Wimbledon semis and made the US Open final, matching his runs from last year. Shelton reached the Australian Open semis and several quarters, but an injury forced him out in the US Open third round. Tiafoe reached the French Open quarterfinals and the third round at the US Open, while Tommy Paul hit the Roland Garros quarters but exited in the third round at the US Open. These results mark a clear American renaissance at tennis’s biggest stages, with each player carving out significant Grand Slam moments.

Still, while Roddick doesn’t like comparing his title to today’s crop, his achievement remains relevant. And from his perspective as a retired pro, the landscape looks different—but things are moving forward.

Andy Roddick draws parallels between player mindsets then and now

On August 27, in a chat with USOpen.org, he admitted that stepping away has changed everything. Asked if he views the game differently now than he did as a player, Roddick was honest: “Being a player is a pretty selfish existence, right? You have tunnel vision. I don’t know that you’re able to have total perspective that’s unbiased about tennis, and you shouldn’t. Now I kind of can.”

His career, of course, still speaks volumes. Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open title cemented his place in history, but his impact extended far past that win. With a blistering serve that topped 140 mph, he regularly bullied opponents off the court. Still, he wasn’t just raw power; under coaches like Brad Gilbert and Jimmy Connors, he fine-tuned his backhand and net game. And in 2009, he gave Federer a legendary Wimbledon battle that stretched 16-14 in the fifth set.

Roddick also carried American tennis on his shoulders. He led the U.S. to its first Davis Cup in 12 years back in 2007, proving his grit and leadership. Fans loved his durability and fire, qualities that kept him in the fight during a brutal era.

As he further explained, “I certainly think what I think, and I have my opinions, and I certainly want them to be responsible, but I’m not going to shy away from one. You take in all of tennis and see what comes out of the bottom of the filter. It’s definitely something different, the way you view it now, versus when you’re playing and you’re siloed a little bit.”

These days, he channels that perspective into his podcast, blending sharp takes with the competitive edge fans know so well. And the timing couldn’t be better! American men’s tennis is buzzing again. With two players in the Top 10 and snagging titles, the new wave is making serious noise. The fraternity Roddick once led looks lively again, and U.S. tennis is right back in the spotlight.