Andy Roddick is one of the most famous and successful American tennis players of any generation with his 32 titles. He and Andre Agassi are the only Americans ever to finish the calendar year as world No. 1, and Roddick first surfaced there at age 21, the youngest world’s top-ranked player ever recorded by the modern tracking system.
The ride to the top was a dizzying one that demanded a singular focus and included a near-instantaneous ascent. At one moment he’s in Nebraska, wondering which college tennis program he might like to attend if his dream to be a pro doesn’t materialize, and within the span of a year, he’s in the top 20 on the ATP.
Roddick joined Gallery Media Group CEO Ryan Harwood—both climbed the tennis ranks together as young amateurs ("Ryan had a beard when he was 12," Roddick quips)—for ONE37pm's Live From the Bar Cart podcast to talk about the experience and what he’s distilled from analyzing his career now that he’s retired.