How History Would Paint Roddick If Federer Didn't Exist

The way a tennis player will be remembered in the fabrics of history is defined by a single numeric, total majors won. People will quickly forget your close calls, how many times you managed to make it to the semifinals or quarterfinals of a major, and point directly to the number 1. They will certainly ignore the lesser tournament victories like defeating Dudi Sela to take home the Beijing Open. The number 1 is what currently defines Andy Roddick's legacy. All the talent in the world, all the hope of US Tennis thrust upon his shoulders, and all he could manage was 1 major. But perhaps that's not how Andy Roddick's legacy should hold up. Perhaps Andy Roddick is closer to Pete Sampras than he is a player who never won a major. Perhaps the lone thing that's stopped Andy Roddick from ascending into the stratosphere of American tennis is one man, Roger Federer. In 2003, the year Roddick shot up to the #1 player in the world, it came off the strength of his lone Major Cha...