He's got a serve that packs more punch than a can of Jolt and a volley that makes him a favorite to win the Australian Open.
He's got a serve that packs more punch than an extra large can of Jolt and a volley that makes him a favorite to win the Australian Open. Kidzworld has the goods on pro tennis sensation, Andy Roddick.
Andy Roddick's Start
Andy Roddick was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1982 and started playing tennis when he was seven. The family moved to Florida in 1993, so Andy's older brother, John, could receive better coaching for his tennis career. John ended up going to the University of Georgia on a tennis scholarship, but it was Andy's tennis career which really took off. By the age of 16, Andy Roddick was winning virtually every junior tournament he entered, and people predicted Roddick would be the next, great American tennis superstar.
Andy Roddick Turns Pro
In 2000, Andy Roddick turned pro at the age of 17. Just 18 months later, he had already won two tournaments and was one of the top 50 ranked players. As of 2003, Andy Roddick had won five titles and was ranked among the top five tennis players in the world. The key to Andy's game is his monstrous serve. In the finals of a grass-court tournament in London in June 2003, Roddick tied a [kwlink]world record[/kwlink] by unleashing a thunderbolt serve that reached 149 miles per hour! Andy reached the semi-finals of both Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 2003 and in September of that same year, Roddick won the US Open. It was his first Grand Slam title.
Andy Roddick Serves Love
For a while there, when he wasn't serving up aces on the tennis court, Andy Roddick had been serving up some love to singer-actress, Mandy Moore. The two met in Toronto, Canada, while Mandy Moore was filming the movie, How To Deal. After winning the US Open, Andy Roddick jumped into the stands to hug his girl, Mandy. The two broke up in March of 2004. Mandy Moore has said it was because Andy "doesn't like Los Angeles very much and he doesn't care about the industry." Andy Roddick has said the split happened because the long distance relationship was starting to take his concentration off his tennis game. So, does Andy Roddick have a girlfriend now? Possibly - he's now rumored to be serving love with fellow tennis star, Maria Sharapova.
Backhanded Facts About Andy Roddick
- Andy Roddick is a big fan of the University of Nebraska football team and even has his bathroom covered in Cornhusker wallpaper.
- Andy Roddick has a Powerade vending machine in his kitchen.
- Andy Roddick has a pet rabbit, named Stifler after Andy's favorite character in the movie, American Pie.
- Andy Roddick's nicknames include A-Rod and Kid Roddick.
Related Stories:
- Tennis: Serena and Venus Williams Bio
- 2002 Wimbledon Tennis Championship
- Tennis: Andrea Jaeger Bio
- More Athlete Bios in The Pros
