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CNN Live Saturday
Tennis Player Andy Roddick Could Become Next Big Star
Aired August 30, 2003 - 18:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Do you know the name Andy Roddick? If you follow tennis, then you probably do. The 21-year-old American is seeded fourth among men in the U.S. Open. Well, tomorrow, he goes up against Brazil's Flavio Saretta. Our Josie Burke says, remember Roddick's name. He's likely to be America's next big thing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To go along with his overwhelming serve and his powerful forehand, Andy Roddick brought a new weapon to this year's U.S. Open -- he can now beat his opponents with his poise.
ANDY RODDICK, TENNIS PLAYER: I've just been a lot more relaxed on court. I haven't been playing every point like just so emotional. I've been a little bit more laid back and I'm having a lot more fun.
BURKE: Roddick did just turn 21, but his newfound maturity has less to do with the aging process, than the coaching process. In June, after his second consecutive first round loss in the French Open, Roddick hired Brad Gilbert. Since then, he's won four tournaments and lost only two matches.
BRAD GILBERT, RODDICK'S COACH: I felt like he wasted a lot of energy getting too excited, getting too angry, and wearing his emotion more on his sleeve.
RODDICK: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
When I feel myself getting upset and I see him up there, and I remember what he tells me, I'm like, OK, maybe step back and look at the situation from the outside, not get so involved and so emotional about it.
BURKE: Because he's playing so well, Roddick is considered a favorite to win the U.S. Open, capture his first Grand Slam, and finally wear the title he's been trying on for years -- the next great American tennis player. Not that Roddick is paying attention to the hype.
RODDICK: I never say I need to do anything. I mean, I play for myself. And that's, you know, I don't play for media or for people who write a little column about it, you know. I got -- maybe I used to do that, and it wasn't good, but now I'm just playing for myself, and playing to make myself happy.
BURKE: The new attitude comes from Gilbert, and it's worked before. Gilbert once tutored Andre Agassi. Their association lasted eight years, and include six Grand Slam titles.
RODDICK: Out of the people that I was thinking about for coaches, his name just seemed like it had the most possibility for big success. I mean, anything that I'm going to do, he's already seen before, he's already been through with Andre.
ANDRE AGASSI, TENNIS PLAYER: I can definitely assure you that Brad will make a difference. Brad is a great coach. You know, Andy just seems like he's -- a lot of things are coming together for him. He's a young kid who's getting older and getting better by the month.
GILBERT: They both have really infectious personalities, they're both people person, and you want to be around them, they're fun, they're gracious.
BURKE: Roddick only hopes the results are similar. Back in 1994, just months after Agassi and Gilbert became a team, Agassi won his first U.S. Open.
Josie Burke, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 30, 2003 - 18:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Do you know the name Andy Roddick? If you follow tennis, then you probably do. The 21-year-old American is seeded fourth among men in the U.S. Open. Well, tomorrow, he goes up against Brazil's Flavio Saretta. Our Josie Burke says, remember Roddick's name. He's likely to be America's next big thing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To go along with his overwhelming serve and his powerful forehand, Andy Roddick brought a new weapon to this year's U.S. Open -- he can now beat his opponents with his poise.
ANDY RODDICK, TENNIS PLAYER: I've just been a lot more relaxed on court. I haven't been playing every point like just so emotional. I've been a little bit more laid back and I'm having a lot more fun.
BURKE: Roddick did just turn 21, but his newfound maturity has less to do with the aging process, than the coaching process. In June, after his second consecutive first round loss in the French Open, Roddick hired Brad Gilbert. Since then, he's won four tournaments and lost only two matches.
BRAD GILBERT, RODDICK'S COACH: I felt like he wasted a lot of energy getting too excited, getting too angry, and wearing his emotion more on his sleeve.
RODDICK: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
When I feel myself getting upset and I see him up there, and I remember what he tells me, I'm like, OK, maybe step back and look at the situation from the outside, not get so involved and so emotional about it.
BURKE: Because he's playing so well, Roddick is considered a favorite to win the U.S. Open, capture his first Grand Slam, and finally wear the title he's been trying on for years -- the next great American tennis player. Not that Roddick is paying attention to the hype.
RODDICK: I never say I need to do anything. I mean, I play for myself. And that's, you know, I don't play for media or for people who write a little column about it, you know. I got -- maybe I used to do that, and it wasn't good, but now I'm just playing for myself, and playing to make myself happy.
BURKE: The new attitude comes from Gilbert, and it's worked before. Gilbert once tutored Andre Agassi. Their association lasted eight years, and include six Grand Slam titles.
RODDICK: Out of the people that I was thinking about for coaches, his name just seemed like it had the most possibility for big success. I mean, anything that I'm going to do, he's already seen before, he's already been through with Andre.
ANDRE AGASSI, TENNIS PLAYER: I can definitely assure you that Brad will make a difference. Brad is a great coach. You know, Andy just seems like he's -- a lot of things are coming together for him. He's a young kid who's getting older and getting better by the month.
GILBERT: They both have really infectious personalities, they're both people person, and you want to be around them, they're fun, they're gracious.
BURKE: Roddick only hopes the results are similar. Back in 1994, just months after Agassi and Gilbert became a team, Agassi won his first U.S. Open.
Josie Burke, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
