(NEW YORK) — Ahead of an exciting opening night for the 144th U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York, on Monday, the last American man to win the singles title on that court, Andy Roddick, received a special honor from the USTA Foundation for all of his work as a philanthropist and role model.
“It’s kind of humbling to get an award for philanthropy in the house of Arthur Ashe, in the tennis center of Billie Jean King,” Roddick told ABC News’ Good Morning America on Tuesday after accepting the Serving Up Dreams Award. “I have always said I don’t think tennis gets enough credit for its absolute icons — the people on [its] Mount Rushmore speaking out for social change, doing something bigger than themselves.”
Roddick founded his eponymous foundation in 2000 at just 17 years old with a mission of improving the lives of children and families, to keep kids learning so they can succeed, especially during times when statistics show they’re typically most at risk and falling behind.
“When your heroes do stuff, you fall in line, and all of a sudden you’re doing tennis clinics when you’re young just because Andre Agassi does it, and he set the precedent,” the 41-year-old Grand Slam winner said. “Out of school time matters in a huge way — summer learning loss in lower socioeconomic areas is a big, big deal. So, a parent not having to decide to leave work early to go pick up their kids for their own safety is a big, big deal.”
The Austin, Texas-based tennis stalwart added, “The award is great, I’m happy for our team, but I’m most happy for our kids.”
Tennis legend Andy Roddick shares US Open predictions
Roddick, who won the US Open in 2003, also reflected on the dynamic pool of next-generation American talent who are taking the court over the next two weeks in Flushing with big names like Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Sebastian Korda and Tommy Paul.
“Specifically with the American men, as we currently stand, we have 25% of the Top 20 men [in the world rankings]. That’s a big deal,” he said. “Five in the Top 20 on the men’s side, five in the Top 20 on the women’s side.”
“It seems like they have kind of this healthy jealousy where they all get along, they all respect each other, they all support each other. But also, I feel there’s a little bit of FOMO if someone makes a run to the semis,” he said of the aforementioned singles stars. “I hope someone breaks out in a big way.”
Andy Roddick weighs in on Jannik Sinner doping case
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner was not suspended from the US Open, despite twice testing positive for steroids, which has drummed up lots of opinions from current and former players, including Roddick.
“There’s a little known Italian player, Marco Bortolotti, who went through the exact same thing two months ago,” he began. “The most recent precedent with the similar circumstances — they found no fault, no negligence. That’s just the way it goes.”
He continued, “People are talking about it’s unfair. It would have been unfair had he gotten a different ruling than someone who was 350 in the World and 110 in the World in Doubles. I don’t think he would put everything at risk for something that didn’t benefit him. It was one billionth of a gram. He’s either the dumbest person on Earth or we should believe him on merit.”
‘Served with Andy Roddick’ takes show live on the road
Roddick also hosts the podcast “Served with Andy Roddick,” breaking down all things tennis with a fresh spin and proceeds going to the Andy Roddick Foundation.
During the US Open, the podcast, presented by Chase, is popping up at the rooftop of Pier 17 for live shows open to Sapphire Reserve members, which is slated to include tennis super fan Seal as a guest on Wednesday.
“He’s a massive, massive tennis fan, and he’s like my energy guru,” Roddick said. “Tennis is largely ignored outside of the live events, so [it’s] just a friendly place to get content on a normal Tuesday.”
For local fans who want to get in on the action, there are also opportunities to book a rooftop tennis clinic with Roddick through Chase experiences.
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