Having seen Novak Djokovic’s rankings rise as a result of winning his 90th ATP victory at the Astana Open, retired American tennis player Andy Roddick recently endorsed his old opponent.
During Andy Roddick’s career on the circuit, he frequently faced off against Serbian tennis sensation Novak Djokovic in competitions. Unintentionally, the two’s pressure grew due to their frequent, intense clashes, and it eventually erupted.
Instance, during the 2008 US Open quarterfinal match, Roddick made fun of the Serbian’s injury troubles. Nevertheless, they quickly resolved their disagreement and have managed to maintain a cordial friendship ever since.
Andy Roddick discusses Novak Djokovic, his rival
With his recent victory at the Astana Open, the Serbian tennis star has earned another achievement to his resume. With this accomplishment, Djokovic’s impressive record of triumphs now includes 90 ATP titles.
Despite the Serb’s victory, Andy Roddick, a former foe, spoke out in favor of the 21-time Grand Slam champion.
Despite having a terrific tournament, Roddick discussed Djokovic’s ATP standings and the ranking points he dropped at Wimbledon.
He wrote on Twitter,
“I’m happy he’s putting these points on the board. It benefits nobody to have him at 7 in the world when his level hasn’t changed. He should have his points from Wimbledon”
Stefanos, a Greek tennis player, was decisively defeated by the former world No. 1 at the Astana Open. In the first round of the event, the Serbian tennis player overcame Cristian Garn and Botic van de Zandschulp.
Later, in the quarterfinal, Djokovic defeated Russian tennis star Karen Khachanov. Djokovic had a walkover in the semifinal match as Daniil Medvedev, a Russian, withdrew due to an injury.
A dispute in the locker room once occurred between Roddick and Djokovic
The former American tennis player reportedly admitted that he and Djokovic had a fight in the changing room. Throughout their 2008 US Open quarterfinal match, Roddick claimed that he and the other competitor made fun of the other in the changing room.
Afterward, Roddick claimed that during the US Open, he engaged in a fight with a player by the name of “Schmovak Schmokovic.” The former world No. 1 made fun of Djokovic’s injuries sustained while playing in Grand Slam tournaments.
Intimating that the Serbian faked injuries throughout key times of his matches, Roddick claimed. After Roddick criticized him in front of the crowd, Djokovic became enraged.
In defense of himself, Djokovic said that he wasn’t exaggerating his injuries during the competition and that he was truly dealing with 16.
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