US Open Tennis 2011: Andy Roddick, Please Shut Up and Just Play

Maybe it is just me, but Andy Roddick is starting to get on my nerves.

Once one of my favorite players, Roddick has quickly taken himself off that list.

Roddick always came off to me as a role-model player, but, recently, he has become a problem. In his early career, he was making the semis and had reached five Grand Slam finals including a 2003 US Open win. Recently though, he has lost his ability to play at that level and seems to have his head somewhere else.

I understand that he is struggling, and struggling bad, but that is not an excuse for his behavior. Once the number one player in the world, Roddick has fallen all the way down to number 21. Roddick is supposed to be the face of American tennis, but he certainly doesn't carry that weight well.

The latest example comes off an interview Roddick had with Chris Fowler. Roddick has never been shy of telling the media off, but now he has gone too far. Yes, Roddick is not playing well, but he didn't have to tell Fowler that he and his fellow commentators are performing a bad job with what he believes to be a relatively easy one.

Perhaps Roddick is right. His points are right on, and many people do find the commentating annoying, but that doesn't give Roddick reason for being explicit about the situation. If he has a problem with it, keep it in the locker room, because he is just setting himself up to look like a fool by not doing so.

By delivering this information to Chris Fowler, he is going right at the source, setting himself up for even more of a bashing. Most of the time, the commentating is not that hard because they have to just go with what is happening. It is easy for them to say that a player is not performing well, but they also do know what they are talking about. Tennis is inconsistent, so announcers need to call things on the fly. That being said, Roddick certainly has not provided anything for the announcers to promote positively regarding the American.

Sure, he recently had a Wimbledon run in 2009, but, besides his 2003 US Open win, Roddick could arguably be called a disappointment. And his behavior could be considered one, too. 

Roddick's latest shot is just taking it too far. People watch tennis to watch the game they love and to view the emotional battle between two players. There is no reason for Roddick to bring up something like the commentating. It is not like it even interferes with his playing because, obviously, he can't hear it.

What I am sick of is Roddick just taking shots at things that don't effect his playing. He needs to worry about the player on the other side of the net. I know tennis is extremely mental, but Roddick really needs to get his head focused in the direction of what is actually important. If Roddick were to lose, he would probably say it is hard to win when you have everyone talking down on you. He is a professional, though, and needs to act like one.

This latest Roddick outburst is just another example of Roddick having his concentration somewhere else and not on the tennis court. Which is why I ask you, Andy, to just shut up and play tennis. Until then, Roddick will never progress to where he once stood.