Andy Roddick biography
Date of birth : 1982-08-30
Date of death : -
Birthplace : Omaha, Nebraska
Nationality : American
Category : Sports
Last modified : 2010-04-07
Credited as : Professional tennis player, married to model Brooklyn Decker, World No.1
0 votes so far
Roddick lived in Austin, Texas, from age 4 until he was 11, then moved to Boca Raton, Florida in the interest of his brother John's tennis career, where he lived, first attending Boca Prep International School which Mardy Fish and later Jesse Levine also attended, until graduating from Highlands Christian Academy in 2000. Roddick played varsity basketball in high school alongside his future Davis Cup teammate Mardy Fish, who trained and lived with Roddick in 1999. During that time period, he sometimes trained with Venus and Serena Williams; he later moved back to Austin.
Roddick began dating singer Mandy Moore in 2002. Moore, after reading a magazine article about him, thought he was "really cute," so she sent her mother, who was attending a tournament in Toronto, to invite him to her set on a movie she was shooting nearby, How to Deal. Roddick accepted and they began dating. Roddick ended the relationship in March 2004.
While flipping through the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Roddick spotted Brooklyn Decker, a fashion model. He had his agent contact her. The two dated since at least the 2007 Davis Cup. On March 31, 2008, Roddick announced on his website that he and Decker had become engaged and they were then married in Austin on April 17, 2009.
He is the top-ranked American player and the only male American inside the top 10. He became a Grand Slam singles champion when he won the title at the 2003 US Open. Roddick has reached four other Grand Slam finals (Wimbledon three times and the US Open once), losing to Roger Federer each time. He and Federer are the only players to have been ranked in the Association of Tennis Professionals top 10 at year-end from 2002 through 2009. Roddick is known for his powerful serves and holds the fastest serve recorded in professional tennis, measured at 155 mph (249.5 km/h).
Known for his hard, fast serve and easy charm in front of the camera, Roddick has appeared many times on television talk shows, hosted Saturday Night Live and was named "Sexiest Athlete" by People magazine in 2003. Sometimes called "A-Rod" or "Kid Roddick," by 2004 he had winnings of more than $7 million and was one of the top players in the world. Slowed by injuries between 2006 and 2008, he made a strong showing at Wimbledon in 2009, losing to Roger Federer in an epic final, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14.
Roddick has been on the United States Davis Cup team for several years, helping the US win the 2007 Davis Cup, the first win by the US since 1995.