Andy Roddick shares the overlooked side of Roger Federer’s game

There aren’t many more recognisable figures in sport than Roger Federer, a player admired around the world for his style and grace on the court.

But during his career, there was at least one man who might not have shared quite the same level of admiration, given what Federer took from him over the years.

If it wasn’t for Federer standing in his way so often, Andy Roddick could easily have finished his career with multiple Grand Slam titles. Yet even in retirement, Roddick holds no grudge. He’s settled into a media role and regularly shares insights into today’s game.

He’s also become one of tennis’ most prominent voices and has recently been speaking about an aspect of Federer’s career that he feels is often overlooked by fans.

Andy Roddick reflects on what people miss about Roger Federer’s game

Roddick, speaking on his Served with Andy Roddick podcast, was asked which parts of Federer’s game might be overlooked by casual fans.

He also pointed out the difference between watching Federer and actually playing against him.

“Not a lot gets overlooked,” said Roddick.

He continued: “I mean, the one thing that I think people always talk about… players always mention how good of a server he is. Fans always mention all the other stuff.

“Like when you’re like, ‘What does Fed do well?’ It’s like the slice and the poetry, and everyone knows the forehand, and it flows.”

But there’s more to it than just his skills. During his peak years, Federer stood out for being both an elite attacker and defender at the same time – something that wasn’t common before him.

The likes of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal later became known for similar qualities. But as Roddick pointed out, Federer may have been the first to truly blend those two aspects together so seamlessly.

Andy Roddick reflects on his approach to facing Federer

Roddick was also asked about his tactical approach against Federer during that same episode.

He laughed at the question, knowing his record well. Of their 24 meetings, Roddick won only three times, with seven of those losses coming in Grand Slam semi-finals or finals.

Despite having a successful career, Roddick has always been open about his struggles against Federer and the rest of that era’s top players. He explained how those matchups were different from others on tour.

The 43-year-old explained: “So the thing where I would get exposed against the greatest players is that once we were neutral, when I was neutral against most players, I felt kind of comfortable. I could play a cat and mouse, I could hit a chip. I basically could get the ball out of their hot spots, right? I could chip line where I knew if I could get them this way, that they weren’t coming in, right? There were certain ways to kind of solve the riddle.”

“When I got to neutral against Fed, Rafa, Novak, Murray, I was actually behind.

“So you’re trying to play from a place where you’re not totally neutral all the time.

“I tried coming in a ton against him. I tried staying back a bunch. Actually, the last Wimbledon final I lost… That was maybe the only match that we ever played where I felt comfortable in backhand rallies.”

“For whatever reason that day – maybe because it was playing hot – space stayed between us. It wasn’t something typical for me. Roddick said he had to take more risks at certain moments rather than just trying to stay even.

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