sign in sign up
<<
Home , Andy Roddick, Tennis

A Life R eid. and B illy tag

More S B ernard S ports, t. Ordinary

After 13 years as a top professional player, steps away from the to focus the next chapter of his life, which includes building up his foundation, spending more time getting to know his hometown of Austin and adjusting to a mellower way of life. By Erin Quinn / Photos by Matthew Mahon rothers, S G oorin B rothers, by provided Wardrobe dela rosa; hair and makeup by facundo; cristina by styling

86 austinmonthly.com / june 2013 Roddick relaxing at Spanish Oaks Club, where you’ll often find him playing 18 holes.

austinmonthly.com / june 2013 87 On a warm April evening at the Barton Creek Country Club, the Darrell Royal Ballroom is packed with folks dressed in their kitschy ’80s best. There’s a Run- DMC lookalike, Marty from Back to the Future and a pregnant woman wearing a gigantic Rubik’s Cube around her bump. Even radio show host Bobby Bones, who is there as emcee, has joined in, doing his best Michael Jackson impersonation in a sparkly fedora, white and tight leather pants. They are all here to support newly retired pro tennis star Andy Roddick in his latest endeavor: transitioning his Andy Roddick Foundation from a “pass-through” charity into a foundation that develops and inspires underserved children through -based mentoring and education. This party, and a celebrity golf the next day, are the first new events the foundation has thrown since Roddick announced his retirement on Aug. 30, 2012—his 30th birthday.

The Young Gun Driving to meet Roddick for an interview is a tad nerve-wracking. The native, who lived in Austin from the ages of 4-11, moved to for better training and then moved back to Aus- tin in 2003, is known for his smarts, work ethic, wit—and bite, especially when talking to reporters. “You can’t really get much by him,” says Tennis magazine’s veteran senior editor Pete Bodo, who has been covering Roddick’s career from the very start. “One time, Doug Robson of USA Today, an outstanding fellow and writer, made the mistake of calling him a ‘one-slam wonder,’ which is an expression in tennis for a guy who maybe won a in the past but never won anything else, and Andy took umbrage at that. For quite a long time after that, he was snotty whenever he ran into Doug. He definitely has an edge, there’s no question about it. But the thing is, you can’t fly anything by him; you can’t bullsh*t him, essentially. To his credit, I don’t think he bullsh*ts you, either.” When I meet him at the ARF facilities on Austin’s East Side, he greets me with a handshake and a big smile. “I’m Andy,” he says. Nothing is off-limits during our interview, and we discuss every- thing from his tennis career and his wife of four years, actress , to his evolving foundation, how he’s adjusting to retirement and where he loves to hang out in Austin. Dressed in jeans, a light sweater and his signature cap, the 6--2 Roddick is relaxed yet straightforward and concise with his answers. Does he miss anything about tennis? “I’ll see a night match, with the electricity in the air, and that makes me jealous for about five seconds,” he says. “Until I realize that it takes about two weeks of travel to get there, acclimatize, settle in—there’s a lot that goes into that two or three-hour moment.” A-Rod, as he’s nicknamed in tennis circles, had plenty of those moments in his 13 seasons as a professional tennis player. He turned pro in February 2000, after winning the Junior Championship. He was only 17, but he already had a killer and top-notch . That year, he played two matches against his idol, (he lost both), and his big serve drew comparisons to . With no other American teenagers making waves, Roddick was anointed the future of U.S. men’s tennis. He lived up to that title pretty quickly by winning the US Open in 2003, mere days after turning 21. “I’m in disbelief right now,”

*Additional reporting by Amy Gabriel

88 austinmonthly.com / june 2013 Roddick told reporters after his big win. “It’s so far-fetched for me. who never won a Grand Slam, made the Top 10 a bunch of years and I came here as a fan so much when I was younger. It is an absolute that was it. It’s a mixed blessing for him, in a way—and he knows it.” privilege to have my name on the trophy.” Although Roddick never won another major, he did have many Although he remained in the Top 10 for nine years (give or take other career highlights over the next nine years, including win- a few weeks), that was his first and last Grand Slam title. What ning 32 singles titles and amassing more than $20 million in prize happened? To put it simply: , the Swiss player who money. He held the record for fastest serve (155 mph) for seven many call the greatest of all time. Although Roddick reached No. 1 years, and he gave the one of its greatest matches ever when before him, Federer overtook him in the in 2004 and held he courageously went toe-to-toe with Federer in their marathon onto the No. 1 spot for a record 302 weeks. Oh yeah, he also won an 2009 Wimbledon final. As for his career, he won 33 astounding 17 Grand Slam singles titles. singles matches, placing him second to John McEnroe, and helped Roddick had his chances, reaching four other Slam finals—the US the Americans beat the in 2007 to win the Cup back after Open in 2006 and Wimbledon in 2004, ’05 and ’09—but standing a 12-year drought. “Andy was the ultimate professional,” says four- in his way was Federer every time. “If it weren’t for Federer, Rod- time Grand Slam winner and former No. 1 , who was dick would probably have two, maybe three Wimbledons, maybe the captain for the U.S. Davis Cup team in 2011. “He was always another US Open or two,” says Bodo. “In fact, he himself will tell prepared, always fit, always ready to battle.” you that he was very lucky to come along before Roger. If he came And battle he did. He fought to stay in the world’s Top 10 until along a year or two later, he may have just been one of those guys July 25, 2011, when long-standing injuries to his knees, ankles,

Aces High A at his career highlights

2000 Roddick turns pro and is named the world’s top junior after winning the Australian and US Open juniors titles.

2001 He’s the youngest player in the ATP Top 20.

2003 Roddick wins the US Open at age 21 and takes over the No. 1 —for nine weeks.

2004 Another big year for the young star, Rod- dick reaches the final at Wimbledon (against Roger Federer) and leads the U.S. to its first Davis Cup final since 1997 by going 6-2 in singles matches. He also hits his record-breaking 155 mph serve at a cup match.

2005 For the second time, he faces Federer at Wimbledon and comes out the runner-up.

2006 He makes it to the US Open final—only to lose to Federer once again.

2007 A-Rod finishes in the Top 10 for his sixth straight and helps the U.S. defeat to win its first Davis Cup title since 1995.

2009 He reaches his third final at Wimbledon and goes up against—you guessed it—Federer. Despite not dropping serve until the final game of the match, Roddick just can’t hold on. Their 77-game final, which lasted four hours and 16 minutes, goes down as one of the best matches in history.

2010 Roddick is the top American men’s player and finishes in the Top 10 for a ninth straight year. He and Federer are also the only active players to win at least one title for 10 straight years.

2012 On Aug. 30, after battling injuries for several years, Roddick announces his retirement from professional tennis. Six days later, he plays his final pro match, losing to Juan Martin del Potro in the fourth round of the US Open at Sta- dium, the site of his one and only Grand Slam title.

austinmonthly.com / june 2013 89 shoulder and back, along with keeping up with Federer and Rafael is, the old saying ‘all men are created equal,’ that’s not always the Nadal, got to be too much for him. (Although he walked away with case,” he says. “Some are born with opportunity and, for lack of a a winning record, 5-4, against current No. 1 .) In better term, they piss it away, and some have all the motivation, all fact, when he announced his retirement, he mentioned his right the right intent, and they don’t get that opportunity. I think what we shoulder injury several times. These days, “I don’t test it,” he says. can do is raise awareness, raise funds, put the right people in place to “I honestly haven’t had a reason to go serve full-out since I retired. make a difference and provide opportunities for someone who really Even the exhibitions I play, I don’t craves it. And hopefully something do it. It became, with my shoulder, really special will happen.” that I’d hit for two hours and then Roddick actually set this transi- do treatment for four hours.” tion into motion about a year and a Despite the lack of major titles, half ago. In January 2012, he called Bodo has no doubt that Roddick is his childhood friend Jeff C. Lau, deserving of a Hall of Fame honor. who was working on Wall Street “His achievements are cumulative in New York after attending West ones, not individual ones,” he says. and serving a tour of duty in “The number of years he remained , and asked him if he was inter- in the Top 10, his Davis Cup record, ested in helping him transition the his consistency over time and the foundation. “I wasn’t getting up in number of years he did not get “I’m the morning really jazzed about discouraged or mail it in—nobody what I was doing,” says Lau, who worked harder than Andy did.” had been working in mergers and acquisitions. “Andy said, ‘I have an retired idea of where I want the foundation A New Chap ter to go, but I need someone I can trust Now that he’s off the tennis circuit and who can provide that intensity and no longer has to travel a mini- and not take any shortcuts.’ I said, mum of 40 weeks per year, Roddick from ‘Let me think about it.’” has turned his attention to his foun- “Internally, I didn’t have to dation, including the construction think about it too long—an 80-per- of its new learning center, complete cent pay cut sounds wonderful. with a 10,600-square-foot main Let’s do it!” Lau laughs. “But here facility, seven tennis courts and a tennis, we are 14 months later, and I feel full-sized outdoor court, like we’ve got a lot of traction, and set to open this fall. we’ve hired a lot of talented peo- Roddick was inspired to start ple. even joined the foundation in 2000, a year not the board, and she’s emailing left after asking his idol Agassi what and right. I think part of the bat- his biggest regret was. Agassi told tle is just getting really talented, his young colleague that he wished capable people together, putting he had started his foundation ear- existence.” together a strategy and setting the lier—so Roddick wasted no time standard really high.” in starting his. For 12 years, the King says she and Roddick have foundation was what Roddick calls always had a special bond. (In fact, a “pass-through.” There would be a Roddick just joined King’s World big event once a year, usually a gala ownership group and featuring appearances and per- is looking to start a team in Austin formances by Roddick’s big-name next year.) “One thing about Andy friends, such as Sir Elton John and is he has integrity,” she says. “I John Legend, and then the profits would be distributed to local knew from the first time I met him when he was 17 that he was charities, including The Settlement Home for Children, A Glim- something special. He has always tried to think beyond himself mer of Hope and Austin Children’s Shelter. But now that he’s in the and help others. We saw that spirit when he played Davis Cup, capital city permanently, Roddick is ready to take it to the next level. and we are seeing that now with his leadership of his foundation.” While the learning center was inspired by Agassi’s charter school While the learning center is still in the planning stages, Rod- in Las Vegas, there are some big differences. “It’s not going to be a dick does know he wants to target kids of all ages. “It won’t be one full-time school, it’s going to be more mentoring after school, in the program for all,” he says. “We’re looking at housing a number of same spirit of wanting to help in the way Andre has,” Roddick says. programs under our facility. We’re going to start announcing in “It’s certainly not a carbon copy, but you can learn a lot from him the next month or two some pop-ups and clinics to build some and other people who have had success in this area.” momentum and start that process of gaining trust and getting ARF’s motto is “Talent is Universal, Opportunity is Not.” That’s involved with different communities here on a temporary basis something Roddick says he has seen with his own eyes. “The thing until we can actually get into our own shoes.”

90 austinmonthly.com / june 2013 Home, Sweet Home five years, and Bob Costas, a new addition to the family. “Sometime His new, bigger role at the foundation isn’t the only change in Rod- like two years ago, Brooke was wanting to get another dog, because dick’s life. While that’s running full speed ahead, his personal life she grew up with way too many animals for one house,” he says. “I has slowed down—and he’s enjoying every moment. “People ask was like, ‘When I retire, we’ll get another one.’ Then three days after what I’ve been up to, and I say everything and nothing,” he says. I retired, we were sitting around at lunch and she looked at me with “The part that is a little different is that this was the first January this startled look and said, ‘I just remembered something—you said in 15 years that I wasn’t in Australia we could get another dog!’ So it was [for the Australian Open]. I actually one of those things that there was saw Austin in January for the first no getting out of it.” time ever. I was very familiar with Decker says she and the pups Austin in July, for those three weeks are definitely happy to have him before the season starts. So home more. “Less traveling has I’m kind of seeing different things allowed him to relax more and at different times.” focus on some of his favorite He’s also adjusting to having a projects, whether they be the more flexible schedule. “For 12 foundation or golfing,” she says. years I could have told you six “I have to admit we’ve taken a months in advance where I would greater liking to wine and Amy’s be on a given week,” he says. “And at ice cream since he’s retired, and the foundation it’s a little bit more our dogs are happy to finally have like, ‘We’ve got a request. We need their dad home!” you here to do this but it’s only 10 Besides the pitter-patter of days out.’ So it’s not as structured, I little bulldog feet, what about guess, but still fun, still busy, which the potential of having kids? “I is nice. People make the mistake of don’t know that it’s going to be saying, ‘I can’t believe you’re retired tomorrow,” he says. “If it hap- at 30.’ And I say, ‘I’m retired from pened tomorrow, we’d be thrilled tennis, not existence.’” and perfectly OK with it, but a lot Although he has no aspirations of it’s up in the air as far as what to follow in other pro athletes’ foot- she’s doing next [Decker recently steps and become a TV commentator filmed a TV pilot for CBS called (“I tell everyone I didn’t retire from Friends with Better Lives] and playing tennis when I was No. 15 in what I’m doing next profession- the world to go sit in a box and talk ally. So I think we’re going to wait about it,” he says.), he continues to and see what happens in the next offer his opinion on a weekly sports six months and make grand life show on with his decisions after that.” buddy Bobby Bones. “I’m not doing Whatever he ends up doing, it all the time because of everything whether it’s solely the founda- else that I’m doing,” he says. “But tion, a radio show or something Bobby still allows me to pop in.” else entirely, plenty of people will Roddick also cryptically says that be rooting for him. “He’s far too he’s had some “interesting” oppor- smart, far too talented and far tunities that may be revealed soon. too restless to sit on the sidelines These days, he’s enjoying a more and not be involved,” says Courier. relaxed lifestyle at home with his “He’ll have plenty of opportunities wife and their two English bulldogs: (Above) Roddick with his US Open trophy in 2003; (below) with to make an impact wherever he Billie Jean, who they’ve had about Decker at his foundation’s Bogey Down ’80s bash April 14. wants to go from here.” AM

Favorite Restaurant: Uchiko do a lot of Mexican, all over Where you’ll find him: Where you won’t find him: Andy’s “It’s phenomenal; it’s our Austin. The closest one to us is boating, running and golfing Austin City Limits Music Fes- favorite,” he says about Maudie’s, so that’s where we “That’s one of my favorite days, tival or South by Southwest the sushi restaurant. As for go most of the time.” going out on the boat on Lake “My wife calls me a Austin barbecue and Tex-Mex? “I’m Austin. I enjoy that a lot,” he grandpa,” he says with a Roddick’s favorite like a leper for saying it, but Favorite Bar: Mean-Eyed Cat says. “And I run the trail three laugh. “But lots of people in hot spots I’m not a massive barbecue “It’s like a course or four days a week. I have my tight spaces with loud things around town fan. I never ate it while I was for people who don’t know down with the tunes on, so going on is not something I playing, so I don’t think I Austin,” he says. “It gets the I don’t look different from any gravitate toward.” developed the taste for it. We vibe across.” other person on the planet.” n party, cory rivademar. cory B ogey D o w n party, I mages; G etty , A lex L ivesey/ by: photos

austinmonthly.com / june 2013 91