Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim recently discussed the topic of “aura” in tennis. Many fans may recall Novak Djokovic’s comments from January this year, where he confessed to feeling intimidated by Rafael Nadal’s locker room presence before their first-ever match at the French Open in 2006. This is what is meant by “aura” in tennis – some players have such strong reputations that they seem to hold an advantage even before a match begins.
Wertheim asked Roddick about Djokovic’s disappointing 2024 season and Iga Swiatek’s recent dominance of the WTA Tour. Roddick responded by stating that the tennis community should focus more on a player’s accomplishments rather than the effect they might have on their peers in the locker room. He said, “I think aura is this catch-all word which, in fact, we’re talking about accomplishment.” He added that the more accomplishments a player has, the more intimidating it is to play against them.
Roddick also noted that many fans wrongly believe that players can suddenly gain confidence as they reach crucial stages in a tournament. Instead, he argued that professionals can only increase their belief in their abilities if they have solid foundations in their game. Roddick went on to suggest that the term “aura” is one of the age-old stereotypes associated with top athletes.
