In a swirl of distractions, Andy Roddick is clear about one thing. He wants to finish 2003 at No. 1 in the ATP tour rankings.
While Roddick will host a TV comedy show Saturday, and features in a national milk campaign and upcoming reality TV show, he's keen to beat out French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero and Wimbledon champion Roger Federer when the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup starts on Monday.
"Even though I've accomplished a lot of my goals this year, I'm still in the hunt for No. 1," Roddick says. "That's definitely a big motivation for me."
He moved atop the rankings for the first time by passing Ferrero a week ago, about two months after another career-defining accomplishment: Winning the US Open.
That Grand Slam breakthrough brought two immediate consequences. It eased the pressure -- "No more, `What's it feel like to be the future of American tennis?'" Roddick pronounced right after beating Ferrero in the final at New York -- and it ratcheted up the off-court commitments.
"His life's changed from winning the Open -- the infringements on his time, people wanting a lot more from him," coach Brad Gilbert says. "He's not 'Andy Roddick the kid' anymore, he's `Andy Roddick the US Open champion.' But he's a great kid, and he's handling it very well."
It's Gilbert who receives much of the credit for helping Roddick make the move from very good player to great one. They paired up in early June, right after Roddick's first-round loss at the French Open, and the impact is clear.
Roddick went 25-11 (a .694 winning percentage) before hiring Gilbert, 45-6 (.882) after. He won one title in 2003 without Gilbert, five with him.
"He's taught me how to win," Roddick says, then pauses. "He's taught me how to go about it when you're not having your best day. When things aren't going your way, how to handle it better. I mean, I was always pretty good at fighting. And I always tried my best; I wouldn't tank matches. But he just taught me how to go about it -- keep fighting in a calmer way."
That new mind-set ought to help during the coming week. While most tournaments give players a chance to face inexperienced or mediocre opponents in the early rounds, the Tennis Masters Cup brings together only the best.
The top eight men in the rankings participate, split into two groups for round-robin play:
-- Red Group: No. 1 Roddick, No. 4 Guillermo Coria, No. 6 Rainer Schuettler, No. 7 Carlos Moya.
-- Blue Group: No. 2 Ferrero, No. 3 Federer, No. 5 Andre Agassi, No. 8 David Nalbandian.
Eight-time Grand Slam champ Agassi will open against Federer on Monday, while Roddick's first match is Tuesday against Moya.
The top two in each group reach the semifinals, with the title decided Sunday. Roddick's group figures to be easier, and he also should be favored on the outdoor hard courts that will be used in the event's return to the US after a 14-year hiatus.
Roddick went 27-1 on the hard-court summer circuit, including a tour-leading 19-match winning streak.
That surface makes Roddick's serve sting. Not that it needs much help -- he tied the record with a 239kph offering this year, and led the tour in five of six serving categories: 946 aces; 92 percent of service games won; 81 percent of first serve points won; 60 percent of second serve points won; 69 percent of break points saved.
But Roddick is far more than a robot smacking aces. His forehand is spectacular, his backhand is improving, and he's only getting better at constructing points.
And then there are the intangibles, which US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe noticed right away when he added Roddick to the team in 2001.
"He has boundless energy and enthusiasm," McEnroe says. "He has the game and the weapons, but most importantly, he now has the mind and the heart."
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