Andy Roddick has responded to the emotional press conference given by Alex de Minaur following his Wimbledon exit. The world number eight was aiming for his first Grand Slam semi-final but was outplayed by Flavio Cobolli in straight sets, losing 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the fourth round.
De Minaur's Heartfelt Confession
De Minaur, 27, admitted he felt 'broken inside' and confessed that his dream of winning a major title was 'fading away.' Despite being one of the most consistent players on the ATP Tour, he has yet to reach a Grand Slam semi-final, having only made the quarter-finals at all four majors. 'I'm broken inside,' an emotional De Minaur said in his press conference. 'That's the reality. You invest so many hours into this job and so many years to have moments like these. I won't be playing a tournament for a while.'
He continued: 'But then again, they keep piling up. The goals, the belief, the dreams you have start fading away or feeling a little bit further out of reach than they once were. I feel like a couple years ago I was definitely closer. Now I just feel like I'm drifting a little further away from those dreams. It's getting harder and harder. That's the reality.'
Roddick's Reaction
Former US Open champion Andy Roddick addressed De Minaur's comments on his podcast, 'Served.' Asked whether the result warranted such an emotional response, Roddick said: 'Yeah, it did. He missed a couple of second serve returns when he had break points. He made the same mistakes over and over on his second serve. I would have bet my house on where he was going with his second serve.'
Roddick praised De Minaur's professionalism but agreed with his self-assessment. 'Let me just say it would be hard for me to respect Alex more than I do. This guy always shows up and has made one hell of a career. But it was the same second serve over and over and over. No one can question the hours he's putting in but I hope he's working on the right stuff. You could see his disappointment and I agree with him.'
Missed Opportunity at Wimbledon
Roddick highlighted that De Minaur missed a golden chance at Wimbledon, with the draw opening up in his section. 'This is probably his best surface. I respect someone who takes it this hard and who wants it this much. He's honest and self-aware and those are attributes I really, really respect. But I also think he's right. He was the higher seed and if he won that he would have faced a player who is not ranked inside the top-100 in the quarter-finals. There's no Alcaraz, Sinner or Djokovic in his side of the draw so opportunity was knocking and I'm sure that had an impact on his statements.'
Roddick concluded: 'I think he missed an opportunity, I do, and sometimes you need to call it as you see. You can think the world of someone while thinking their analysis of the situation is pretty accurate. He will get back on the horse, that's his nature because he's so professional.'
What's Next for De Minaur
De Minaur's conqueror, world number 10 Flavio Cobolli, will face British wildcard Arthur Fery in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. De Minaur, meanwhile, will take a break from tournaments to regroup after his heartbreaking loss.
