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Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick recently showered rich praise on Rafael Nadal for his humble demeanor both on and off the court.
Nadal has been cited as one of the most down-to-earth tennis players ever countless times. The Spaniard displays a fierce disposition while competing, regardless of the opponent or the score. However, his attitude off-court has always been completely the opposite.
In that context, Andy Roddick shed some light on the 22-time Major winner's gentlemanly behavior. The American claimed that tennis is lucky that Nadal is still around, before adding that the 37-year-old never pulls a long face while interacting with his peers and fans.
"We are lucky to have someone like Rafa in tennis for as long as we have. Every single person he comes across, it's like he doesn't have an off day with people, right?" Roddick said on the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast (at 29:55).
"Shaking hands of every single person, there's no chance he can feel like doing that crap every day. There's just no chance. True gentleman, I like that and it felt like a celebration of him in like a thank you for what you have given us over the years," he continued.
Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, is gearing up for this week's Indian Wells Masters. The Spaniard has been handed a nightmare draw, though as he will take on former World No. 3 Milos Raonic in the first round, with World No. 7 Holger Rune awaiting him in the second.
Rafael Nadal leads Andy Roddick 7-3 in their head-to-head record
Both Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick were two of the most successful players to ply their trade on the ATP Tour in the 2000s. Consequently, they met ten times on the court, playing several high-quality matches over the years.
Roddick scored the first victory of their rivalry at the 2004 US Open, beating the then-teenager 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round. The Spaniard struck back in their next two matches, beating the American at the 2004 Davis Cup and the 2007 Indian Wells Masters.
Roddick, however, restored parity at the 2008 Dubai Tennis Championships, beating the then-World No. 2 en route to the title. Nadal hit his physical prime shortly after that, winning three back-to-back matches against the American at the 2008 Queen's Club Championships, the 2008 Davis Cup and the 2009 Indian Wells Masters.
Although Roddick pulled one back with an upset victory over the Spaniard at the semifinal of the 2010 Miami Masters, Nadal had the last laugh as he reeled two more victories at the 2010 ATP Finals and the 2011 US Open to end with a 7-3 positive win/loss record against the former US Open champion.
