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Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick suffered a defeat to Rafael Nadal in the 2004 Davis Cup final but now he's glad that he was the stepping stone for the Spaniard. In the second rubber of the 2004 Davis Cup final, Nadal defeated Roddick 6-7 (6) 6-2 7-6 (6) 6-2.
The Nadal win gave Spain a 2-0 lead and the Spain eventually went on to win the Davis Cup title that year. While reflecting on his victory over Roddick, Nadal said it was one of the wins that marked the start of his career.
"Proud to be a stepping stone for this man. A great man and a great champion @RafaelNadal. Grande Rafa," Roddick said.
Proud to be a stepping stone for this man. A great man and a great champion @RafaelNadal Grande Rafa https://t.co/bTQvW5cOoT — andyroddick (@andyroddick) June 17, 2022
The comments Nadal made about the Roddick victory
"The match against Roddick in the 2004 Davis Cup final is one of those that marked my career, and I will never forget it," Nadal said.
"People remember my performance for the freshness and how young I was, but the real architect of the victory was Carlos Moya, who brought us two points. I think I claimed victory because the crowd was there to support me; it was essential.
I had some notable matches in every stage of my career, and this is one of them, especially after that injury. I played at a very high level and deserved the triumph after working hard on the practice court. It was a tough year for me, and I'm thrilled with how I performed today.
Andy's serves go 230 km/h; I'm happy with how I returned them, particularly in the most critical moments in the tie breaks. After the match, I did not remember Roddick or McEnroe or anything; all I wanted was to celebrate with my teammates.
I learned today that I must calm down a little during the match and get less excited. Davis Cup is a completely different competition, which helped me believe I'm a good player. I have left injuries behind me, which brings the confidence back ahead of the new season." Nadal captured his first Davis Cup title in 2004 and since then has won four more titles in the competition. In 2019, Nadal helped Spain win the inaugural Davis Cup Finals.