Roddick settles it: "Tennis players are the best athletes in the world"

According to Andy Roddick, absolutely no one matches tennis players in terms of athleticism.

AFP

Arthur Millot

le 04/12/2025 à 15h52

1 min to read

Roddick

"I still believe tennis players are the best athletes in the world"

Andy Roddick didn't wait long in his special end-of-season "Q&A" episode to make a strong statement.

Faced with the still fresh memory of the marathon Alcaraz-Sinner final, a battle lasting over five hours that held the tennis world in suspense, Roddick didn't hesitate for a second:

"Yes. I still believe tennis players are the best athletes in the world. You can't just be strong. You need endurance, motor skills, versatility, and handle everything a global circuit demands."

The other truth of tennis: a total, brutal, unforgiving sport... but incomparable

When asked about athletes who could compete, Roddick pays tribute to basketball and soccer, acknowledges the complexity of baseball but reminds that nothing compares to the mental load and overall demands of tennis.

"You have to be able to take off, land, recover, start again. And repeat. At every tournament," he explains.

The hidden side: eating, suffering, starting over... the reality of recovery

One of the most difficult moments according to the American is the recovery protocol.

He describes nights at the US Open where everything became mechanical: stretch immediately, drink liters of water, apply ice, and above all, eat.

"What I hated most was what I had to eat. My coach would come with a foamy, disgusting smoothie. I hated it, but it was necessary."