In a serendipitous encounter in the hallowed halls of the US Open locker room, Andy Roddick and Jannik Sinner crossed paths for the very first time, sparking a fascinating comparison to none other than the legendary Roger Federer.
Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion who faced Federer in four Grand Slam finals, has long been vocal about the Swiss maestro’s unflappable demeanor before major matches. The Texan tennis titan often found himself vexed by Federer’s outwardly calm and collected aura, even in the face of high-stakes showdowns.
As fate would have it, Roddick found himself in close proximity to the Italian rising star Sinner during this year’s US Open, where the latter made a historic run to the final. Observing Sinner’s poise and tranquility before his momentous match, Roddick couldn’t help but draw parallels to Federer.
“I said hello to him because you walk in the locker room and my locker is way to the right but he takes up kind of that centre area right before you gotta make a move left or right in the men’s locker room,” Roddick recounted on his podcast, Served with Andy Roddick. “Darren (Cahill) was there and Andre (Agassi) was there and at that point it would have been like I was just being a (expletive) if I didn’t say hello to all of them.”
Having never crossed paths with Sinner before, Roddick made a brief introduction before swiftly retreating to avoid being a hindrance to the young player’s pre-match preparations. Yet, the Texan couldn’t shake the striking resemblance between Sinner and Federer in terms of their pre-match demeanor.
“But he is the most relaxed person I’ve ever seen beside of Roger before a Slam final,” Roddick mused. “It feels like he has this very quiet confidence about the way that he goes about things.”
Sinner’s subdued celebrations and immediate readiness to return to action following the US Open final left Roddick in awe, as he acknowledged the formidable challenge the Italian’s unwavering self-assurance poses to the rest of the tennis world.
“Even his celebrations aren’t for anyone else, it’s like this relief like okay and you feel like he was ready to start again like an hour after the US Open, which is a problem for the rest of the earth,” Roddick marveled.
In a chance encounter at the US Open, Andy Roddick found himself face to face with a young player who embodies the cool, collected demeanor reminiscent of none other than Roger Federer. As Sinner continues to make waves in the tennis world, his quiet confidence and readiness to rise to the occasion may well prove to be his greatest assets, much like the Swiss legend who has inspired generations of players.