Andy Roddick: Why A-Rod Needs to Win More Than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

If Roger Federer retired today, he'd likely be remembered as the greatest male tennis player in history.

If Rafeal Nadal retired today, he'd be remembered as one of the greatest tennis players in history.

And if Andy Roddick retired today, well...what exactly would his legacy be?

More than likely, we'd remember him as a player who was generally pretty good and had one great year in 2003. We'd remember him for being outspoken, sarcastic and even surly with journalists during press conferences, perhaps even more so than his game on the court.

This is why, for the sake of his legacy, the man once thought to be the next great American tennis player needs a Grand Slam title this year far more than Federer or Nadal do.

Sure, we'll remember how exciting it was seeing his blistering serve and how we were all sort of jealous that he got hitched to supermodel Brooklyn Decker. Some of us will even remember his Saturday Night Live appearance or the feeling we couldn't shake that he looked like a more athletic version of Stifler from American Pie.

However, will we remember Roddick for his game?

It didn't have to be like this for Roddick. Had he won more than one of the five Grand Slam finals he reached (he won the 2003 US Open), his legacy wouldn't be in question. He wouldn't be remembered as the best player in his generation by any stretch, but he would be remembered as an excellent player.

From 2003-05, Roddick won 15 titles and reached another eight finals. He was the top-ranked player in the world for a stretch of time in 2003. However, unlike Federer, who has won 16 Grand Slam titles—or Nadal, who has won 10—we have to dig deeper to find the highlights in Roddick's career. They don't jump out at us.

With another Grand Slam title or two before he retires, perhaps that will change.

His legacy may very well depend on it.

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