"Andy Roddick will spin any situation to make Djokovic look bad, Nadal is not dead" - Serb's fans furious over Roddick's comments on Andy Murray hire

Novak Djokovic's fans have expressed anger at Andy Roddick's recent comments on the Serb's decision to appoint Andy Murray as his coach. The American hinted that Novak Djokovic intentionally announced his blockbuster partnership with Andy Murray to overshadow Rafael Nadal's farewell.

Nadal bid tennis adieu on November 19 after Spain lost to Netherlands in quarterfinals of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. The tie was followed by a special video montage with some iconic moments from the Spaniard's career and messages from some of the biggest athletes.

Four days later, on November 23rd, Novak Djokovic took to Instagram to announce that he had brought his one-time rival Andy Murray on board as his coach for the 2025 Australian Open.

Discussing this massive partnership on his podcast "Served with Andy Roddick," Roddick talked about the magnitude of this news, saying

"I get memes are fun, but there is no part of this that's a joke. I don't think it's a vanity project. Hey listen, is the attention fun? Is the buzz fun? Is it fun to know that you can create a s**tstorm in the tennis world and override any storyline?"

When questioned by one of the guests if he was referring to any specific story, Roddick said there was "zero reason" for Djokovic to announce this news during Nadal's farewell week.

"Oh, oh, oh! Rafa retired this weekend? Should we dominate the headlines at the end of that week? There was zero reason why this needed to be announced. Zero."

However, one user on X (formerly Twitter) didn't take too kindly to Andy Roddick's words. They mentioned the American's aforementioned comments and wrote,

"‘Zero reason to announce Novak Djokovic-Andy Murray partnership after Rafael Nadal’s farewell’ - says Roddick. Zero reason to think Nadal still lives in Novak's head as Novak seems to reside in Roddick's. Was I too rabid?!

Fans lashed out at Andy Roddick's remarks, with one fan claiming that the American would mend the narrative to show Djokovic in a bad light.

"Roddick will spin any situation to try and make Novak look bad. Nadal is retiring ffs, he’s not dead," the fan commented.

Another fan said,

"@andyroddick This may be the dumbest take in the history of tennis. Are we supposed to wear black for a year because Nadal retired?" the fan opined.

Here are some other reactions from the fans expressing their disapproval of Roddick's recent comments.

"Yes well, I am sure Novak doesn't give a Toss what Roddick thinks about it. He doesnt need permission from anyone to Speak to his Fans on Social Media," a fan said.

"This is what Andy is upset about? Entitled much. Novak’s life doesn’t revolve around their schedule," a fan mentioned.

"Shall we ban any entertainment after Nadal s farewell? What a ridiculous comment!" a fan questioned.

"Roddick is the only person I have seen mention this, does he think Nadal cares, does anyone care," a fan questioned.

Novak Djokovic paid an emotional tribute to Rafael Nadal on his retirement via social media on Thursday, November 21.

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Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray pay tribute to Rafael Nadal on his retirement

Djokovic and Nadal - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic paid an emotional tribute via a video message, which was posted to Davis Cup's official social media page. The Serb expressed gratitude towards one of his biggest rivals, against whom he played 60 times.

He concluded his message by thanking the Spaniard for making him the player he ended up becoming. The two men share a staggering 46 Grand Slams between them.

"I've been very honored and thrilled to be called your rival over the last, almost 20 years, we've played more than 60 matches. I have learned so much in our encounters and thank you very much for also making me the player that I am and that I was over the last 20 years."

Andy Murray also had a special video message for Rafael Nadal, where he jokingly recalled, in his typical style, how the Spaniard would throw his PlayStation controllers whenever he lost to the Brit in Pro Evolution Soccer.