What Andy Roddick said he was ’embarrassed’ about after retiring from tennis

He retired young, aged 30, as a one-time major champion.

However, when looking back upon his career, it wasn’t his Grand Slam shortcomings that left him feeling embarrassed.

Andy Roddick was ’embarrassed’ by the way he acted on court

Appearing as a guest on ‘Overheard with Evan Smith ‘ in 2015, Roddick was asked if he acted more like John McEnroe than Pete Sampras during his playing career.

“Oh gosh, yeah,” he said.

Roddick was then asked whether he had any regrets about the way he acted, especially towards umpires.

“Sure, but it’d be like, imagine, your worst day at work, and then there’s a camera there, and that’s what lives on forever,” he said.

“I am embarrassed about some of the stuff I’ve done on court.

“But at the same time, a lot of those traits that caused me to go mental, also caused me to win a lot of tennis matches.”

Roddick wasn’t wrong, as his attitude saw him win 612 ATP Tour matches during his career.

He also remains the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title…

How close have American men been to ending the Grand Slam drought?

Roddick’s 2003 triumph was the last by an American man in a Grand Slam singles tournament.

He returned to four finals, losing to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and at the 2006 US Open.

Andre Agassi also reached a major final after 2003, but lost to Federer at the 2005 US Open.

Remarkably, after decades of dominance, no American man contested a Grand Slam final between 2009 and 2024.

It was Taylor Fritz who broke that streak when he qualified for the US Open final a year ago.

Unfortunately for Fritz and the United States, he came up short, losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

Heading into 2026, Fritz will be a contender once again, as will Ben Shelton, the world number nine.

The likes of Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe, and Learner Tien could also be worth looking out for, having impressed at times this season.

Only time will tell if anyone can follow in Roddick’s footsteps in 2026…

American men will have a chance to win a Grand Slam at the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday, January 18.