"Andy Roddick is incredibly jealous, I can't blame him" - When Serena Williams jokingly accused Roddick of 'exaggerating' her powers in childhood loss

Serena Williams and Andy Roddick once engaged in playful banter as they shared contrasting memories of a childhood match. The duo shared an interesting anecdote after both players reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Australian Open.

Amid her campaign at the Melbourne Slam, Williams proudly recounted that she had claimed a 6-1 win over her fellow American when he was 10 years old. However, Roddick protested that he was much smaller than her at the time, humorously suggesting that Williams only boasted about the win to get under his skin.

"When we were ten, I had to literally run around in the shower to get wet. I was this big. She was bench pressing dump trucks already at that time. I told her that yesterday, and she got a good laugh. Any chance she gets she just does it to get under my skin, and she does it very successfully," Roddick said during his press conference.

In response, Serena Williams spoke about how her compatriot exaggerated her size, joking that Andy Roddick was "incredibly jealous" of her physique. She quipped that her biceps were more impressive than her fellow American even as adults, and that she couldn't blame him for being envious.

"Andy's always exaggerating. I was so small for my age. He was small, too. But he just got jealous because my body was more fit and that my biceps are probably still bigger than his (laughter). Andy is incredibly jealous of me. You know, I just don't know why. I can't blame him really," Serena Williams said in her press conference.

"Again, I'll have to talk to him, because he clearly didn't have to run around. He wasn't that thin. Andy's a fit guy. Like I said, he was always trying to get muscles like mine, get more developed. I guess it still hasn't happened yet (laughter)," she added.

Although Roddick pushed for a rematch to redeem himself, Williams dismissed the idea, emphasizing that her childhood victory and dominant scoreline were proof that she was the better player.

"I don't think it's necessary to have a rematch. You know, I won. I was clearly the better player. I beat Roddick, you know. Andy Roddick, yeah (smiling). There's really no need to have a rematch. It's unimportant now," she said. "6-1. The score absolutely speaks for itself. He always jokes, Rematch, rematch. But I don't even have time for a rematch."

Andy Roddick, in turn, also jokingly accused Serena Williams of fudging the score to reflect better on her, asserting that he had actually lost 6-4.

"The score gets better for her also. She's good at not letting the truth get in the way of a good story sometimes. I think it was 6-4," he said.

---

"I'm always rooting as hard as I can for Andy Roddick" - Serena Williams on compatriot's Australian Open QF against Novak Djokovic

Andy Roddick and Serena Williams - Source: Getty

Despite their lighthearted jabs, Serena Williams emphasized that she was always rooting for Andy Roddick, disclosing her intention to support her compatriot in his quarterfinal clash with defending champion Novak Djokovic at the 2009 Australian Open.

"No, I always watch. I'm always rooting as hard as I can for Andy. I think he's playing well, so hopefully he'll be able to pull through," Serena Williams said.

Roddick eventually advanced to the semifinals after Djokovic retired mid-match due to heat stress. However, the American fell short of reaching the final as he suffered a 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 loss to eventual runner-up Roger Federer.

Serena Williams, meanwhile, made a stellar run to the final, beating the likes of Peng Shuai, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Elena Dementieva. She then claimed a dominant 6-0, 6-3 win over Dinara Safina in the final to clinch her 10th Grand Slam title.