At the 2009 Wimbledon Championships, Andy Roddick reached the final at the All England Club for the third time, facing Roger Federer once more. Roddick had previously contested Wimbledon finals in 2004 and 2005, both times against Federer, the Swiss star who dominated the tournament with five consecutive titles from 2003 to 2007. Despite coming close, including a moment where he was just a point away from establishing a two-set lead, Roddick ultimately lost to Federer again, continuing a challenging rivalry at Wimbledon.
Roddick’s Words to the Crowd After Losing the Final
Following the intense match, Roddick spoke to the Wimbledon crowd during his runner-up interview. Reflecting on the match’s intensity, former British tennis player Sue Barker commented,
“After a match like that, I just think this sport is so cruel.”
Roddick responded gratefully to the crowd‘s support before expressing respect for his opponent:
“I just want to say congratulations to Roger, he’s a true champion and he deserves everything he gets, so well done Roger.”
When Barker praised Roddick’s effort, he acknowledged he had tried his best, adding,
“Well, I tried, sorry Pete [Sampras], I tried to hold him off.”
He also paid tribute to former tennis greats present at the venue, saying,
“It was an honour playing in front of great champions like Pete, Manolo [Santana], Rod [Laver] and Bjorn [Borg] there.”
Most poignantly, Roddick made a heartfelt promise for the future:
“I still hope that my name will be up there with theirs as a winner of this tournament. I’ll be back,”
signaling his determination to return.
Roddick’s Wimbledon Performances After 2009
After his third Wimbledon final loss to Federer in 2009, Andy Roddick did not progress beyond the fourth round in future appearances at the tournament. In 2010, he was eliminated in the fourth round after a five-set defeat to Lu Yen-hsun. Two years later, in 2011, Roddick won his opening matches in straight sets but then lost in the third round to Feliciano Lopez. His final Wimbledon appearance came in 2012, when he bowed out in the third round against David Ferrer in four sets.
Roddick retired later that year, announcing his decision following the US Open on August 30th, his 30th birthday, marking the end of his professional tennis career.