"I was right, Rafael Nadal didn't win eight French Opens, he won 14": Andy Roddick reveals his initial doubts about Spaniard's Roland Garros dominance

Andy Roddick recently revealed having initial doubts about Rafael Nadal's ability to dominate the French Open.

Nadal's success at Roland Garros sets him apart from any other player in tennis history. Making his debut at the French Grand Slam in 2005, the former World No. 1 has claimed an impressive 14 Roland Garros titles, the most by any player, male or female, in the Open Era. The 22-time Grand Slam champion boasts a remarkable 112–3 record in 18 appearances at the event.

Rafael Nadal's most recent French Open title win came in 2022 when he defeated Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 in the final.

During the recent episode of the "Served with Andy Roddick" podcast, Roddick shared his initial impressions of Nadal's game at Roland Garros. Roddick admitted that when the Spaniard first won the title in 2005, he didn't see him as a "complete player."

"I'm going to tell you what I got wrong about Rafa way back when. I remember he won his first French Open, largely because of the RPMs and the height he's able to get on the ball—his physical gifts—but he wasn't a complete player straight out of the gate," Roddick said (at 18:01).

Andy Roddick also recalled a conversation with his trainer, Doug Spreen, who had predicted that Rafael Nadal would go on to win eight French Open titles. Dismissing Spreen's prediction as "unrealistic," Roddick acknowledged that Nadal surpassed all expectations by winning 14 titles at Roland Garros.

"The first time he wins the French Open, my old trainer, Doug Spreen, who I spent 250 nights with a year for a decade, he wins the first one, and he goes, 'This kid's going to win eight French Opens,' and I said, 'Wait a minute, that's an unrealistic prediction; that's a disservice to everyone else on Earth; you're automatically just going to give this 17-year-old who at that point is serving 106, you're going to give him eight French Opens?' I was right; he didn't win eight French Opens; he won 14," he added (at 18:25).

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"Rafael Nadal's 37, I thought he would have a hard time getting to 28 with the way that he plays" - Andy Roddick

Rafael Nadal at Netflix Slam 2024

In the aforementioned podcast episode, Andy Roddick revealed that Rafael Nadal playing at the age of 37 is unbelievable as he had initially thought that the Spaniard would only play till 28. He stated that the "real tennis fans" should give gratitude for the incredible contributions the Spaniard has made to the sport.

"It's just amazing to see. Also, I was one of the dummies. He's 37. I thought he would have a hard time getting to 28 with the way that he plays. If we're real tennis fans, I say that we should all choose to deal in gratitude for what he has given us for the time that we have had him, which is frankly longer than any of us dummies thought that he would be able to last," Roddick said.

Roddick also pointed to other tennis legends like Roger Federer, who played until the age of 40, and Novak Djokovic, who is still competing at 36. He emphasized the importance of recognizing and appreciating the lasting impact these players have had on the sport.

"Same goes for Roger [Federer] coming back; like, we're bummed he didn't get his proper goodbye; we had him until he was 40; this is an unbelievable thing. We still have Novak [Djokovic] playing at a high level at 36 years old. This didn't happen back in the day. So instead of being sad about it, we can choose to have gratitude for what he has given us—the sport," he added.

Andy Roddick reiterated that he will always have gratitude and appreciation for everything Rafael Nadal has contributed to the sport even if he doesn't play another match in his career.

I'm going to choose gratitude when looking back on Rafa, whatever happens—if he doesn't play another sanction point for the rest of his life. I want to see that exit. If we don't get it, let's be thankful for what he's given the sport," Roddick said.