“Enjoy Playing Against Him, Not Just Because I Win”: When Roger Federer Trolled Andy Roddick at Cincinnati Open

Roger Federer once took a hilarious dig at Andy Roddick after defeating him in the final of the 2005 Cincinnati Open. The Swiss legend joked about how he used to win almost every time he faced Roddick. At that point, Federer’s head-to-head record with the American stood at an astoundingly one-sided 9-1. He did not let Roddick forget this after defeating him for the 10th time in the final in Cincinnati, trolling him during the on-court interview.

Back in 2005, the two faced off in a thrilling match-up in the Cincinnati Open final. First seed Federer defeated fifth seed Roddick 6-3,7-5 to extend his domination over him. The match may have wrapped up in straight sets, but it made for an extremely entertaining watch. What followed, however, were even more entertaining on-court interviews from both men. Federer, especially, was witty and took a crack at Roddick.

Roger Federer was savage

The 2005 Cincinnati Open final was the 11th meeting between the two stars, the fifth consecutive time they went up against each other in the final of a tournament. Barely two months before this clash, Roddick had been bested by Federer in the final of the 2005 Wimbledon. Big-serving Roddick sent down 11 aces to take the second set deep after conceding the first one easily. He, however, could not prevent Federer from lifting the trophy.

Despite the defeat, Roddick did not fail to show respect to Federer in the post-match on-court interview. He said that he stood a chance before the Swiss came into his own. Roddick congratulated Federer, calling him a ‘great champion’ and a positive image for tennis as a sport.

 “Yeah, it was (when asked if things were shaping up to be pretty good). And then Roger started being Roger again, yada yada yada (sic). But in all seriousness, he’s a great champion and he carries himself even better off the court which is a real credit to our sport, so congratulations.”

Federer then walked up to the interviewer amidst applause, saying that Cincinnati is a great place to play tennis. He added that facing Roddick in his home country is something he likes. Federer complimented his opponent before making a wisecrack, saying that he enjoys this match-up, but not only because he usually comes out on top.

“It was great. A great place to play tennis. It was a great final against Andy. I always enjoy, especially playing in America against him. He’s really a fair fair player and I really enjoy it every time, not just because I win.”

The duo would not cross paths for over a year, meeting next only in the final of the 2006 US Open. Federer once again emerged victorious over Roddick in front of the latter’s home crowd. The American had to wait until 2008 to notch a second career win over Federer, and he trails 20-time Grand Slam 21-3 head-to-head.

Roddick was frequently thwarted by Federer throughout their respective careers

Roddick won only three games out of 24 against Federer. The Swiss star had become a nemesis for Roddick, depriving him of multiple Majors titles. The American finished runner-up behind Federer four times at Grand Slams events across years, three of which were Wimbledon. Federer has dumped Roddick out of multiple more Grand Slams and other events.

Had it not been for the Swiss, Roddick surely would have had won more Grand Slams than just the one US Open title. He was defeated seven times by Federer in the semi-finals or final of a Grand Slam event. Roddick surely had the caliber and would have converted a couple of those occasions to a title win had it not been for Federer.