"I said I could bully Rafael Nadal around" - Andy Roddick admits he underestimated Spaniard as a kid & had to change his mind in just 10 weeks

Andy Roddick recently revisited his epic Davis Cup Final battle against Rafael Nadal which changed his perception of the Spaniard. The American admitted to having initially underestimated the Spaniard's true caliber when he was a teenager.

The 22-time Maor champion made his appearance on the American's podcast Served with Andy Roddick where the latter opened up about their match at the 2004 Davis Cup Final between Spain and the USA which changed his perception of the 38-year-old. The two former World No. 1's had faced off at the US Open 10 weeks earlier, where Roddick decimated the Spaniard 6-0, 6-3, 6-4.

Nadal, who was just 18 at the time, replaced former World No. 1 and Grand Slam champion Juan Carlos Ferrero against Roddick in the second match of the five-match tie. The tie was played in Sevilla on clay where the young Spaniard announced himself to the tennis world by scoring a massive (6)6-7, 6-2, 7-6(6), 6-2 triumph, which eventually helped Spain lift the cup.

Speaking on their match, Andy Roddick admitted that after his US Open win, though he saw potential in Nadal, felt he could comfortably get the better of the young Spaniard.

"I remember after the US Open, I said this kid is really good. He doesn't serve big enough yet. There are some things I could bully him around the court, and obviously, it's a fast hard court. So I'm going, 'Okay, this is going to be a year, two years, there's going to be a process,' and it took me exactly 10 weeks to change my mind about you in a completely different way," he said. (at 26:15)

However, his rock-solid performance changed his perception into thinking that the 'King of Clay' would become a great of the game.

"We play at Davis Cup, they throw you in, and at that point, it was the largest crowd ever, I remember walking out. At that point in my career, I'd been in most situations in a short amount of time, and it all happened very quickly, and when I'm telling you, you didn't blink. The situation was as if there weren't all these external things going on. Head down, and you made me win every point five and six times."

"I walked off the court that time, and I went, 'Oh, okay. He will be great,'" he added.

After this triumph, the 14-time French Open champion was over the moon calling it the biggest triumph of his young career.

"I've just arrived to the team and we've just won" - How Rafael Nadal reacted after winning the 2004 Davis Cup

2004 Davis Cup Final - USA vs Spain - Trophy Presentation - Source: Getty

While talking to the media after Spain's Davis Cup 2004 triumph, Rafael Nadal was over the moon celebrating how he clinched the title on his first try.

"I personally have to say that this is my first Davis Cup, of course. I've just arrived to the team and we've just won. This is quite a lucky thing for me. I feel very lucky because my debut was with such a wonderful team. We have had our tough moments during the season, and we managed to overcome them," Nadal said.

He also said that it was the 'most important trophy' of his life and expressed his love for team competitions.

"I feel really, really happy because I do love this type of team tournament, so I've truly enjoyed it. For me, the Davis Cup is the most important trophy of my life. I'm just truly happy to be here and have won," he added.

Rafael Nadal went on to win the Davis Cup four more times, in 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2019 and also hung up his racket at the coveted event in 2024 after Spain lost to the Netherlands in the quarterfinal.