The Last Time... With Andy Roddick

© Getty ImagesFans favourite Andy Roddick, a three-time Wimbledon runner-up, qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals but was forced to withdraw due to a left knee injury.

American Andy Roddick reveals to DEUCE the last time...

I cooked for myself or others? 
This morning: breakfast.  I made eggs.  I started to cook probably a lot more in the last year or so.  I'm not claiming to be any good but…  I don't really do anything too great, but for a specialty I probably just put some vegetables together or something like that.

I flew economy class?
Five days ago (26th October).  I was on Jet Blue from New York to Austin.  I don't remember exactly when I stopped flying economy; it was probably around my second year on tour.

I met a childhood idol? 
Muhammad Ali is the one person I haven't met that I would like to.  The last person from my childhood, that was one of my favourites, that I met, was Michael Jordan last year.  He was playing in a group behind us in golf and I left my putter on the green behind us accidentally on purpose and he grabbed it and I was sort of walking towards the green to retrieve it.  So he recognised me and said "nice to meet you" and all the stuff, it was pretty cool.

"Pretty much the only time I ever wear a suit is to the formal Davis Cup dinners."

I shared a hotel room with another player? 
Oh, that's got to be juniors!

I had to pay to hire a tennis court? 
It had to be 10 years ago or something like that…  Actually no, it's not, that's not true!  When it rains here in Austin sometimes they have a very limited number of indoor courts, there's pretty much two in the city.   So when we go there we're happy to pay for our hour just like everyone else, as long as they can sneak us in to actually get on them.

I dressed formally for a dinner?
Pretty much the only time I ever wear a suit is to the formal Davis Cup dinners, so I guess earlier this year.

I lost a bet?
It happens all the time! I think I lost a bet on a Fantasy Football game last week.  I think it was $50 or something.

I sang karaoke / sang in front of an audience?
Car singing doesn't count right? (laughing)  I don't know that I've ever sang in front of an audience…  I did some karaoke, but I think it's been a couple of years.  The Bryan brothers always try to get me to sing with their band, but I've retired from the Bryan Bros. Band.

I had to show ID/credential at a tournament? 
Oh, all the time!  At the US Open, all the time.  And at Wimbledon, because they make you scan in all the time so you have to show up with a credential every time.  I was behind Martina Navratilova, she had to show it and she's only won it like 48 times!  We normally figure it out, but I lose my credential probably on a bi-weekly basis, along with the room key!

I slipped on my diet?
I slipped up a little bit after the US Open.  I had a little bit of time off so I was not scared of Mexican food for a couple of weeks.  For about 10 months (this year) I was fine and then the last two months have been a little dicey.

"I try to buy up basically presents in bulk so you get a nice present that should be worth three or four presents."

I played a practical joke in the locker room?
This is just mean, but it was the attendant in China.  Every time you brushed up against the locker it would make some beeping noise and they would have to run down.  One day, I was kind of laughing and I was doing it over and over again and the guy was running back and forth (laughing).  People play jokes on me all the time, like putting something smelly in your locker…  The worst culprits are the kids who work in the locker room in Cincinnati.  I have had an ongoing prank for about five years so they always get me pretty good.  It's not printable what they do, though!

I walked my dog?
Last night.  I took Billie [after Billie Jean King] down to the end of the street and back, she has a place where she does her business.  My buddy, Neil, takes care of her when I'm away.  It's kind of like a community dog amongst my friends and Neil looks after her when I'm gone.

I forgot a family member/close friend's birthday?
I try to buy up presents in bulk so you get a nice present that should be worth three or four presents and then I request a free pass for the next time I forget!  I'm good at getting them, but I figure if you get them something nice it buys you a couple of forgets.

Being recognised helped me?
Last night (Friday 30th October).  We went to a Haunted House in Austin and the line had to be a couple of hours long and we were able to get in a little quicker.  I get recognised just as much outside the States as I do at home.  When you figure tennis is probably the second-biggest sport worldwide and it’s definitely not the second-biggest sport as far as American interests.  It's probably pretty similar.

I heard a good joke?
Actually this morning from my friend, Dillon.  Again, it's not printable… 

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