Andy Roddick shared a funny story about his 2024 Australian Open watch experience, and it's related to Coco Gauff.
As a former American player, Roddick is invested in the careers of his fellow Americans on both the ATP and the WTA Tours. They are not the only players he watches when it comes to tennis, since he also works as an analyst, but he's particularly interested in seeing how some of them develop.
As one of the brightest talents in recent memory, Gauff particularly piqued his interest. The 41-year-old American actually worked with the teenage prodigy during the offseason, refining some aspects of her serve to make it more deadly.
Since the news came out, Gauff has praised Roddick's efforts. With that engagement, Roddick became even more immersed in what Gauff was doing on the Tour. Auckland was a good experience because she won the trophy there comfortably.
The Australian Open was a bit different. She started well, but she lost to Aryna Sabalenka. That one was tough for Roddick because he got up to watch the match and was miserable when she lost.
"I am so impressed with her and I had a blast. I was miserable when she lost in Australia. I'd never in my life thought I'd be waking up at 3:30 watching a match and having the result affect me for the rest of the day and the next four days."
The revelation was made in the first episode of his Served with Roddick podcast, which he had recently created. It seems like we will get more insights from the former world number one, and that's a welcome addition.
The Tour could benefit from a few former players chiming in every now and then, especially those who are close to the Tour, like Roddick.