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BY MARK CHIN

In print | Published November 5, 2009

I should have rooted for Andy Roddick to beat Roger Federer in this year’s Wimbledon final for a lot of reasons. Andy is one of the best and most consistent tennis players of the decade (only he and Federer have finished ranked in the top ten for the past six years), and he also represents everything a casual sports fan loves in an athlete.

Roddick plays a somewhat comically single-faceted tennis style; he dominates opponents mainly through the power of his serves and forehand. He is funny and humble on-court, throwing exaggerated facial expressions at the line judges (the classic Roddick wide-eyed, open-mouthed look that suggests, “I have no idea what match you’re watching.“ or “That ridiculous call must be matched by my equally ridiculous facial expression.”), while also lauding his opponent for well-placed shots (also accompanied by his “Roddick Glare”).

He is also funny and humble off-court at his press conferences and interviews. (Though clearly upset after losing this year’s Wimbledon, Roddick remained true to character, joking, “Sorry Pete, I know, uh, I tried to hold [Federer] off [from breaking your Grand Slam record].” And despite his consistency, Roddick remains the perpetual underdog (his record against Federer is 2-19, 0-4 in Grand Slam finals).

Most importantly, Roddick is passionate about tennis and devoted to improving. Everyone watching him play Federer knew he wanted desperately to win his second Grand Slam by triumphing at Wimbledon. Andy always plays an elevated level of tennis against Federer (see: 2007 US Open Match), and this Wimbledon was no exception.

I should have rooted for Roddick. But I didn’t.

Federer is everything Roddick is not. Unlike Roddick, Federer is never overlooked. He makes headlines when he is winning but also when he is losing (possible sample headlines: “Federer‘s Fall from Tennis Immortality“ or “Federer Tries out for Swiss Figure Skating Team”). Federer also acts in an elitist, tactless and gaudy way in the spotlight. For example, take my somewhat exaggerated interpretation of the Wimbledon post-match interview:

ROGER: As you can see, my pristine white track-jacket that I had embroidered (before the match, I may add) with a golden “15” symbolizes my record-breaking 15th Grand Slam victory. I decided that the ridiculous white cardigan that I wore last year was inappropriate. Oh, and sorry about your loss Andy. Can’t win them all! I lost here last year to Nadal, you know?

ANDY: (dejectedly sitting on the side, shooting the Roddick glare) Yeah. Though this was one of the best matches of my career and I still can’t beat you. And you’ve already won five [Wimbledon Championships]!

And after the winner’s ceremony ended? We were all greeted by Federer’s face again in those absurd commercials. Look, Federer playing tennis in a suit! Look, Federer playing tennis while shaving! I should buy a Rolex and a Gillette Fusion!

I should have rooted for Roddick for many reasons. It’s easy to cheer for Roddick, the eternal joker and underdog, and Federer can be disagreeable. Yet one more thing separates both athletes: Federer is a winner. That is why I wanted him to win Wimbledon this year.

We all love winners. But we also want athletes to be more than just good at what they do. We want them to be the whole deal; we want them to be able to hit a forehand winner, but we want them to be humble about it. We want talented athletes to have good character. That kind of athlete rarely exists, and the character of an athlete overall doesn’t matter — especially if the athlete is as accomplished as Roger is.

It isn’t wrong to judge athletes on their lifestyles or characters, but they shouldn’t overshadow the beauty of talent. Federer shouldn’t even be placed under such scrutiny because his faults are trivial (I can’t forgive him for the commercials, but I can throw some of the blame on his sponsors for creating his image of elitism).

Add in the fact that he chose to fly commercially during the peak of his career and has also created a charity group that helps educate children, Roger doesn’t seem as bad as I’ve made him out to be.

I am attracted to people who aren’t just passionate for what they do but also excel at what they do. While he was in his prime, I rarely doubted Federer’s ability to win important matches (Sports Illustrated columnist Joe Posnanski notes that his career winning percentage of 91 percent at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open is greater than the free-throw percentage of most basketball players). Few other athletes in recent history deserve such confidence. Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps and Mariano Rivera are some athletes who exhibit this “Federer Factor” — the ability to always find ways to succeed in critical situations (should we note a “Nadal Exception”?).

Tennis fans everywhere saw the factor in action this summer. With Roddick playing the match of his life, serving on set point, Federer quietly stepped up to the baseline and stole the set back. From that moment on, I realized Federer would triumph, and both players might have guessed the outcome of the match as well. Federer is just that good, and this excellence has always inspired me to support him. Watch any clip of his highlights on YouTube (suggested match: 2008 Australian Open versus Fabrice Santoro), and I guarantee you will be amazed, even if you aren’t a sports fan).
Athletes like Federer — undeniably talented and accomplished yet flawed — exist in all sports. I appreciate their abilities despite their shortcomings, because I can’t always hit that crosscourt passing shot. I can’t dunk (I’m five-foot-nine). I only hit hole-in-ones in mini-golf.

Performing professionally against other professional athletes? Downright amazing.

Skill, performance and athletic ability — not character — should almost always be the measuring sticks by which we judge professional athletes. Roger’s flaws are insignificant and explainable, yet his skill, performance, and ability are unsurpassable. We should not be looking at the minutiae of his character; we should be exalting his accomplishments because we are blessed to be living in an era of tennis with such an athlete.

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