“Was Really Cool”: Andy Roddick Reminisces Battling Past Rafael Nadal at Miami Open

Winning against the 20-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, will be a special feeling for any tennis player on the tour. Recently, on the #AskAndy show conducted by Tennis Channel, Andy Roddick revealed his two most special wins at the ATP Miami Open.

When asked about his most favorite match of the Miami Open, Roddick gave a special mention to his semifinal victory over Nadal at the tournament in 2010. After beating Nadal, Roddick went on to lift the title after winning the final, which marked his second title at the Miami Open.

Roddick picks victory over Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras at the Miami Open as his favorites

As his ultimate favorite victory, the former World No. 1 also chose his win over his childhood idol, Pete Sampras, at the 2001 Miami Open as his favorite victory at the tournament. It happened twenty years ago at the 2001 Miami Open when Roddick stunned the crowd by defeating Sampras in straight sets.

“I won it twice… Beat Rafa in 2010, which was really cool. But the one that’s probably my favorite is I played Pete Sampras there when I was 18 years old, he was three in the world and I was far from that and I got a win… That was a big, big deal for me, not only take the court with Pete but actually win,” said Roddick.

It was Roddick’s first match against Sampras, and the duo played two more matches against each other the following year. Roddick had an upper hand in the duo’s short rivalry, scoring a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head meetings.

On the other hand, Roddick played 10 matches against Nadal during his career, with the Spaniard having a 7-3 advantage in their rivalry.

Roddick retired at the 2012 US Open after suffering a fourth-round defeat at the hand of Juan Martin del Potro. The American ended his career with 32 titles, including one Grand Slam trophy at the 2003 US Open.