| Andy Roddick was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1982 and started playing tennis when he was seven. The family moved to Florida in 1993, And here Andy's tennis career really took off. By the age of 16, Andy Roddick was winning virtually every junior tournament he entered, and people predicted Roddick would be the next, great American tennis superstar. In 1999, he entered three U.S. Futures events where top juniors play and lost in the first round of each. At almost 17 years old, the experience in and of itself was more important than winning. In 2000, Roddick emerged as a force to be reckoned with. He became the top-ranked junior in the world after winning the junior Wimbledon and U.S. Open, and reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros (The French Open).
That same year, Andy turned pro, playing in ATP Entry System events. Despite knee surgery in April, his debut went considerably well as he peaked late in the season, winning a Challenger event in Austin, and reaching the semifinals in a Las Vegas tournament. Another title in Burbank and a runner-up performance in Knoxville elevated Roddick's ranking from No. 326 to No. 160 in November 2000. In 2001, his first full season on tour, Roddick built on his strong finish from the year before. At his 10th career ATP tournament, Roddick came away with his first title on the clay courts of Atlanta. The following week, he won another tourney in Houston without dropping a set. After reaching the 3rd round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, this up-and-comer won his third title in Washington. By year's end, Roddick was placed in the Top 20, and at just over 19 years old, was, by far, the youngest among the group.
After more than a year on tour, Roddick was already getting people's attention. The peak of the 2002 season brought more of the same success, as he captured a title in Memphis in February, before repeating as champion in Houston, beating Pete Sampras in the final. Though these two ATP events were the only wins of the season, Roddick continued a consistent year, winning a career-high 56 matches and reaching the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. He finished the year with over $1 million US in winnings and, more importantly, placed in the ATP Top Ten. He started out with semifinal appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and took home important victories in London, Austria and Indianapolis. He also won important Tennis Masters Series events in Montreal and Cincinnati, and by the time tabloids picked up on his relationship with Mandy Moore, Roddick was vying for the top spot on tour. To cap off his great summer 2003 run under new coach Brad Gilbert, Roddick blew by the competition at the U.S. Open, faltering only once during the semifinals, before winning in straight sets versus top rival Juan Carlos Fererro. This victory put him at the very top of the ATP rankings.
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