“Hopefully, I’ll come back to this place someday and see all of you again,” Andy Roddick said after his final US Open match against Juan Martín del Potro. Since then, the American icon has been thriving off court, notably launching the ‘Served’ podcast in January 2024 with Mike Hayden and Jon Wertheim. Now, in a stunning twist, Roddick returns to the court, reigniting nostalgia and breathing fresh life into a legendary American tennis legacy.

The former world number one and 2003 US Open champion, now 43, caused a surprise at the Orange Bowl players’ evening. The event is currently underway from December 9 to 17. Andy Roddick was seen back on court – 13 years after throwing in the towel – racket in hand, to the delight of fans.

As reported by Tennis Legend on X, formerly Twitter, Roddick trained for an evening with Aleksandar Kovacevic. Kovacevic is ranked world number 60 and reached the Montpellier final this year. The unexpected practice session quickly drew attention across the tennis world.

Roddick retired in 2012 with a 612–213 match record and 32 career titles. Still, he has returned to court several times since then. His appearances have reflected both his enduring skill and his lasting connection to the sport.

In 2015, he joined his hometown Austin Aces in World Team Tennis. He shifted from owner to player in the “fun and funky” league. The environment was lighter and more family-focused, far removed from the pressures of the main tour.

He also featured in the QQQ Champions Series in 2015 and 2017. The senior exhibition tour suited him well. He dominated with his powerful serve, won multiple events, and finished as the overall Series points leader in 2015.

These events highlighted passion more than competition.

“When I was younger, I wanted to go out and beat everyone to prove myself. Now it’s I just want to prove I can still play a little bit.” 

And despite briefly refreshing his image as a player with his recent outing, he also recently shared an incident that completely changed the course of his career.

How one Andre Agassi comment transformed Andy Roddick’s career

Andy Roddick was not the first, nor the last, player to complain about playing conditions. Heat has always been a topic on tour. But during one Australian Open, someone finally had enough of hearing it.

Speaking on his Served podcast with guest Frances Tiafoe, Roddick recalled a moment involving Andre Agassi. Agassi did not appreciate Roddick’s repeated complaints about the extreme temperature during the tournament.

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“I remember I was on tour with Andre,” he said. “And the greats have this ability to take something that seems really stressful or hard and they put in very simple terms. One time we were in Australia, it was one of those days where it felt like a hair dryer outside. It’s 140(°F) on court and the wind’s blowing, it’s just disgusting.”

Roddick explained he had been in the training room, talking casually with other players.

“And so I’m in the training room. Kind of just bulls**ting and having fun. Guys are walking in and Andre’s in the corner, kind of not saying much, having a conversation with someone.” 

After one player left, Agassi confronted him.

“I talk and the person leaves, and Andre goes ‘dude, it’s the third f—ing person you’ve talked to about how hot it is. You’re an a—-le.’”

Roddick was surprised and asked why. Agassi’s response left a mark. The blunt comment struck a nerve.

“And he goes ‘you’re sitting here complaining. How many people in the world have to be better than one person a day at their job?’” 

Roddick said the moment changed his thinking. He realized motivation did not need to be constant.

“It blew my mind, right?” he said. “You have to be better, physically, mentally than the person you’re playing.”

Today, fans see Roddick refreshed through his podcast and recent time on court. That renewed presence has sparked curiosity as some wonder if charity tennis events could follow. 

For now, only time will tell the future story!