Andy Roddick recently shared a humorous anecdote about defending Roger Federer against retirement talk. Federer’s 2022 retirement marked the end of an era, but before that, questions swirled about when he should call it quits.

Similar questions currently surround Andy Murray, whose recent struggles have sparked retirement discussions. However, on the latest episode of his podcast, Roddick and tennis journalist Mark Petchey defended Murray against such criticism.

Petchey highlighted the pressure players face regarding retirement decisions, using Federer’s experience as an example. “Why do fans do this?” Petchey questioned (at 42:30).

Roddick’s response was laced with humor. He recalled a press conference where he was bombarded with questions about Federer’s potential retirement due to a dip in ranking. While acknowledging his love for Federer, Roddick jokingly lamented having to defend the man who “ruined my life” for a decade due to their lopsided head-to-head record.

“It was like three or four questions in a row about ‘What should Roger do? He’s down to No. 3 in the world,'” Roddick recounted.

In a playful jab at the journalists, Roddick sarcastically suggested that 30% of them should quit writing. He emphasized the importance of recognizing the players’ achievements, arguing that they deserve respect for reaching the pinnacle of their sport.

The article concludes with a brief overview of Federer and Roddick’s historic rivalry, highlighting Federer’s dominant record.

Roger Federer and Andy Roddick locked horns in 24 tour-level encounters during their careers. The Swiss legend dominated their rivalry, emerging victorious on 21 occasions and losing only three matches to the American.

The duo faced each other eight times at Grand Slam events, with Federer triumphing in all eight clashes. The 20-time Grand Slam champion also defeated Roddick in four Major finals. Furthermore, all three of their meetings at the year-end championships also went the way of the Swiss legend.

Their final tour-level encounter took place in the third round of the 2012 Miami Open, where Roddick claimed a hard-fought 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-4 victory over the former World No. 1.

Despite their on-court rivalry, Roddick’s anecdote showcases the mutual respect between the two legends.