In 2020, American tennis great Andy Roddick—bored during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic—tweeted to the Tennis Channel asking for a job.
A TV gig with the network—his first in several years—helped lay the foundation for a podcast with SI’s Jon Wertheim, and now it appears that podcast has helped land Roddick a gig with ESPN.
Roddick will join ESPN’s coverage of Wimbledon and the US Open in 2026, the network announced in a Monday morning release.
“I’m always just a massive fan of tennis. I’m very excited to join the ESPN tennis team and look forward to covering the two biggest tournaments in the world,” Roddick said in the release.
The 43-year-old Omaha, Neb., native enjoyed a 13-year professional career from 2000 to `12. He won the U.S. Open in 2003, and remains the most recent American man to win a major. At Wimbledon, he made the finals on three occasions without winning the tournament. At the Australian Open, he made the semifinals on four occasions without reaching the final.
After his playing career ended, Roddick had a multi-year radio and television affiliation with Fox and a brief gig analyzing Wimbledon for the BBC before his fateful tweet.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Andy Roddick Lands Big New Tennis Gig With ESPN.
