Andy Roddick will honored this year at US Open

The USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association Incorporated (USTA), recently announced that tennis legend and former world No. 1 Andy Roddick will be honored with the Serving Up Dreams Award at the USTA Foundation’s annual Opening Night Gala on Aug. 26 at the US Open.

The Serving Up Dreams Award is presented to an individual or individuals who embody the values of dedicated service, and help advance the USTA Foundation’s mission and the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. Created in 1969 by pioneering tennis legend and humanitarian Arthur Ashe, for whom Arthur Ashe Stadium was named 27 years ago, along with Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, the NJTL network provides more than 150,000 under-resourced youth each year with access to free or low-cost tennis and academic programming along with other enrichment opportunities to help prepare them for the challenges and opportunities of life.

Above: Andy Roddick hits a forehand. Photo: Rob Young via Flickr CC BY 2.0.

In the midst of an impressive junior tennis career that netted him several titles, including a US Open and an Australian Open junior singles championship, Roddick established his eponymous nonprofit, the Andy Roddick Foundation, at the age of 17. The foundation, which serves thousands of youth and families in central Texas, aims to help close the learning gap for low-income students by offering enrichment programs outside the classroom that provide growth opportunities in literacy, STEM, art and sports.

“I was nine years old when I first picked up a racquet and realized that tennis was what I wanted to do with my life. I found my passion early on, and many young people just don’t have that,” said Roddick. “No child should ever miss out on their potential because they didn’t have an opportunity. That’s why this honor means so much to me – it’s all about helping the next generation of kids to become the best version of themselves, regardless of their circumstances.  

Above: A look at Andy Roddick's incredible work "Serving Up Dreams" both on and off the tennis court. Source: USTA Foundation.

In his 12-year professional career, Roddick spent 13 weeks ranked No. 1 and finished nine straight years in the ATP Top 10 rankings from 2002 to 2010. He won the 2003 US Open and secured five Masters 1000 crowns. Roddick appeared in the US Open finals, again in 2006, as well as the finals three times at Wimbledon, and was also an integral part of the U.S. Davis Cup team. He was instrumental in the 2007 defeat of Russia for the U.S.’s 32nd Davis Cup victory and currently ranks second on the all-time U.S. Davis Cup list with 33 singles victories. Roddick was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017.

“Andy is not just a legend for his accomplishments on the court – he is also a role model and source of inspiration for his achievements off the court,” said USTA Foundation CEO Ginny Ehrlich. “Even as a teen climbing the ranks of the professional tennis world, he keenly understood the importance of using his platform to uplift communities in need. We admire his important work through his foundation in helping youth pursue their dreams, and we are proud to honor him with this award.”

To learn more about the USTA Foundation, please visit ustafoundation.com and follow @USTAFoundation on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

===

Source: USTA. Top photo: Luiz Eduardo (CC BY 2.0)