‘..Took the Real Heat’ – 43-Year-Old American Tennis Legend Reveals the Intense Pressure of Expectations on His Talented Friend That Affected His Career the Most

Over the years, tennis has been blessed with generational American talent. From the likes of Billie Jean King and Jimmy Connors to the likes of Serena and Venus Williams, fans have been fortunate to witness these icons take the court. Amongst them is the 40-year-old, Andy Roddick. The former World Number 1 carried forward the baton from Andre Agassi and left a mark on the ATP Tour. Recently, his compatriot, James Blake revealed how the media compared him to the legends after spotting Roddick in the limelight.

Roddick and Blake are good friends and played together on the ATP Tour. Additionally, they were also teammates in the United States Davis Cup team. Here’s what Blake said about the pressure on Roddick due to comparisons with legends.

James Blake highlights mounting pressure on Andy Roddick

The 2003 US Open champion caught the tennis world’s eyes with gigantic serves. It was a peculiar quality amongst other greats of the tennis world. As a result, it invited comparisons with players like Sampras and Agassi.

Talking about it, Blake said, “We heard it every press conference,” while explaining how the media went on predicting that Roddick will carry the tradition of American men dominating Grand Slam tournaments. Further, he added about how the comparisons were made, saying, “‘Are you the next Sampras? Is he the next Agassi? How are you guys going to fill those shoes?’ I took a chunk of it but Andy took the real heat.”

On the other hand, even Pete Sampras went on to reveal in an interview that Andy was the future. Meanwhile, American legend, Andre Agassi was also left stunned after watching Roddick play for the first time.

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Andre Agassi’s reaction after watching Roddick

The 8-time Grand Slam champion was shocked to see Roddick dishing out big serves. Reacting to it, he said, “Who is this kid just crushing the serve?” This comment was caught by the media back then, who went on to predict big things from the 2003 US Open champion. Roddick didn’t disappoint as he is the last American to win a major title in men’s singles as of date.

What do you think about his stellar tennis career? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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