Relive Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open triumph | ATP Tour

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Relive Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open triumph

Brad Gilbert shares memories of historic win

September 07, 2024

For years, one of the biggest questions in tennis has been when an American man would win a Grand Slam singles title. It has been 21 years since Andy Roddick triumphed at the US Open.

Taylor Fritz, the first American man to reach a major singles final since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009, has a chance to halt the questions on Sunday when he faces World No. 1 Jannik Sinner for the trophy at Flushing Meadows.

According to Brad Gilbert, who coached Roddick to the title here in 2003, the circumstances are much different.

“I’m not going to say you took it for granted or expected it, but 2002 was an all-American final, and we had so many Americans in the finals of Slams then,” Gilbert told ATPTour.com. “So it wasn’t a stretch. It was that you figured Andy was the new guy.”

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Roddick accomplished a lot in his Hall of Fame career, climbing to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings and reaching four additional major finals. But no other American man has broken through since he did more than two decades ago.

When Roddick emerged victorious in New York, Roger Federer had just won his first major title at Wimbledon two months earlier. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were not yet in the spotlight.

“You didn’t know [Roger] was going to become what he was going to become, and then Rafa and Joker. So at that time, I kind of just thought it was normal. It was American dominance,” Gilbert said. “You thought it was going to continue.”

Roddick entered the 2003 US Open in top form, having won back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 titles in Montreal and Cincinnati, including a victory against Federer in Canada. He won 20 of 21 matches leading into the season’s final major.

“Andy played great that whole summer,” Gilbert said.

After reaching the semi-finals with the loss of just one set, Roddick’s dreams of Grand Slam glory nearly came to an early end. He lost the first two sets of his semi-final against David Nalbandian before rallying past the Argentine 6-7(4), 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-1, 6-3.

At 5/6 in the third-set tie-break, Roddick saved match point with a big serve.

“He had to really dig out of a jam in the semi when he was down two sets to none and he was in trouble in that breaker,” Gilbert said.

The coach recalls rain wreaking havoc, forcing Roddick’s final opponent, Juan Carlos Ferrero, to play on four consecutive days.

“That was definitely tricky that he had to do that,” Gilbert said. “[Andy] got a round ahead twice during the tournament… He definitely benefitted a little by a couple times finishing [his match]. But you still had to win the matches and the Nalbandian one was a nail biter.”

Roddick then defeated Ferrero 6-3, 7-6(2), 6-3 for the trophy. No American man has accomplished the feat at a major since.

Will Fritz change that on Sunday?