Remember July 9th, 2000? That was the last time an American man, Pete Sampras, hoisted the Wimbledon trophy, claiming his fourth straight title on Centre Court. Since then, the silence has echoed louder with each passing year. Andy Roddick carried the torch bravely, reaching three finals, but never breaking through. Now, 25 years later, that dream still flickers but refuses to ignite. As Taylor Fritz bowed out yet again, hopes dimmed once more on the grass. And in the aftermath, Andy Roddick didn’t stay silent. The former US Open champ made his feelings crystal clear, there’s weight in the wait, and it’s growing heavier.
On a furnace-hot day at SW19, Carlos Alcaraz walked through fire and came out unburned. The defending Wimbledon champion withstood both the blistering 31°C heat and the thunderstorm of Taylor Fritz’s booming serve to secure his spot in Sunday’s final against Jannik Sinner.
It wasn’t easy, nothing ever is at this stage, but the Spaniard, now on a 20-match winning streak on the Wimbledon grass, found his rhythm in the tight moments. Fritz, game and gritty, pushed hard but ultimately fell 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(6), becoming the latest American to watch the dream fade beneath Alcaraz’s growing legacy.
After the match, Andy Roddick, who came closest with three Wimbledon finals, could relate, and on his latest podcast, Served, the former world No. 1 made his thoughts known on Taylor Fritz, his game, and what it really takes to break through.
“Taylor Fritz, like my respect for him, kind of keeps growing and growing and growing, and the base setting was pretty good,” Roddick began. “You know, in the last however many years, he talks very clearly about what his goals are, right? And I give a lot of value to guys that go out there, state what their goals are.” Roddick, never one to mince words, admired Fritz’s fearless self-expectations. “Taylor’s the first guy I’ve heard of, you know, this stay a long time that goes, “Hey, listen. If I don’t win a slam, I’m going to think about it for the rest of my life. Like, I want this, but like you feel like he’s not scared to take it on the chin, go give his best effort.”
That vulnerability, Roddick emphasized, is the fuel of champions. And while Fritz may not yet own a slam, Roddick sees signs of belief in the way he plays and carries himself. “And you feel like there might be a belief system there that matches someone who wins a slam,” he said. “You know, I watch the matches and I can kind of sympathize a little bit because Taylor has perfected almost what he’s good at, right? He’s a great server. He’s a great ball striker. Is he ever going to be as fast as an Alcarez or as nimble as a sinner or be able to, you know, play the slices and the chips and kind of the floating stuff that we see Alcarez do? Probably not.”
But Roddick wasn’t done. He dug into what makes Fritz tick, more than skill, it’s his grit and attitude. “But like I have so much respect for the way that Taylor goes about his business. He’s a workhorse. He shows up. He competes hard every week. He doesn’t shy away from the craziest goals, right? I feel like he leans in, and I thought he played a great match today.”
And in remembering last year’s painful loss at the US Open to Sinner, Roddick admired how Fritz owned the moment. “Even after the US Open final last year, you know, he just leaned into it unprompted. He didn’t have to say anything to it, but he just said, “I wanted this so badly to kind of end this this drought that these these guys have to talk about at Nauseium,” which I’m sure is extremely annoying.”
And while Andy Roddick offered reflection and fire, Taylor Fritz felt the sting in real time. His journey, though unfinished, continues to be one of bold effort and brutal honesty. Another American dream may have slipped away on the grass, but in the eyes of a legend like Roddick, Fritz still has time, and the heart, to chase the summit.
(The story continues…)
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