As a kid, Andy
took tennis lessons in a group that included NFL
quarterback Drew Brees and NBA center Chris Mihm.
When Andy was
7, he gave each of his family members an autographed tennis ball.
Andy sometimes
goes by the nickname “A-Rod.”
In 1999, Andy
became the first American to finish the year as the world’s
top junior since 1992. Brian Dunn was the last to earn this honor.
Andy won the hearts
of Houston fans in 2001 when he purchased tickets to the finals for
all the fans who endured his rain-soaked semifinal victory.
In 2003, at 21
years and two months, Andy became the youngest U.S. male ever to
finish atop the year-end rankings.
Andy won his first
ATP victory in his 10th try—faster than Andre Agassi (11th),
Michael Chang (17th), Jim Courier (33rd) and Pete Sampras (34th).
He won his first Grand Slam in his 12th try. It took Agassi 18.
Andy
declined to defend his Dubai championship in 2009 in protest over
the United Arab Emirates’ refusal to grant a visa to Israeli
Shahar Pe'er for the tournament.
Andy’s 2009 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer was the longest
ever in terms of games played—7-5, 6-7(6), 6-7(5), 6-3, 14-16.
When Andy was
a kid, he signed his friend Garrett’s tennis bag. “Keep
this,” he said. “One day I’ll be famous.”
Andy’s
brother John was an All-American at
Georgia in the late 1990s. His other brother, Lawrence, is a chiropractor.
He was an All-American diver and teammate of Greg Louganis.
The Roddicks are
still huge Nebraska fans. A bathroom in their Boca Raton home is
covered in red and white Cornhusker wallpaper.
Among Andy’s
hidden talents are his rendition of the rap classic “Ice, Ice
Baby,” his break dancing and his imitation of South Park’s
Cartman.
When the Roddicks
feel Andy is getting too big for his britches, they pull out tapes
of him as a 13-year-old. “He was a pipsqueak—he had no
size and no serve,” says brother John.
Andy appeared
on national television twice as a teenager—once on MTV’s “Total
Request Live” and on Craig Kilborn’s “Late Late
Show.”
Andy’s closest
friends on the men’s tour are the Bryan brothers, Mike and
Bob. Among the friends he made coming up through the juniors were
Robby Ginperi of Georgia and Tres Davis of Texas.
Andy attended
Boca Prep, where he also played on the basketball team.
Andy started dating
Mandy Moore after visiting her on the set of her movie, “How
to Deal.” Their first meeting was set up by Moore’s mother,
who is a huge tennis fan.
Andy’s sister-in-law,
Ginger Roddick, handles his publicity.
Andy was the
first male tennis player to host Saturday Night Live. The musical
guest was the Dave Matthews Band—his favorite.
Andy got "Punk'd" by
Ashton Kutcher on a 2005 episode of the actor's show on MTV.
Andy proposed
to his girlfriend, Brooklyn Decker, at the 2008 Miami Masters. An
hour later, he defeated Roger Federer for just the second
time in his career. Andy and Brooklyn
were married in April 2009.
Andy’s wife
has appeared in music videos for Jimmy Buffett and 3 Doors Down.