After all, he isn't just a star. He loves the stars and stripes. Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open singles title, his first Grand Slam title, and nothing would be sweeter than adding an Olympic gold medal to his resume.
"It's definitely right up there with a Grand Slam in my eyes," Roddick said. "Obviously my ultimate goal in tennis was the U.S. Open, but I want that gold medal, and I would definitely cherish it as much as a Grand Slam title."
So how solid is Roddick?
Good enough to earn the No.2 ranking. Good enough to have won more than $6-million before his 22nd birthday. Good enough to have recorded serves in the 150 mph range. Good enough that he has won more than 75 percent of his professional matches.
"I'm so excited," Roddick said. "You know, it's something I've been watching since I can remember. I'm definitely very pumped up to get there. It should be a great experience."
Roddick, 21, has something else in his favor: The hardcourt surface, which is similar to those at the U.S. and Australian Opens, events in which he has had great success.
"He's definitely better now than a year ago," said Brad Gilbert, Roddick's coach. "But he needs to be because the other top players are as well. He has to keep improving, keep working on his game and good things will happen."
A SLUMP, BUT ... Serena Williams hasn't won a major in more than a year and has slipped from No.1 in the rankings. But one could argue that hardcourt is her best surface, and this could be her chance to reclaim the spotlight.
In her past four majors on hardcourt surfaces, Williams has two titles and one runnerup finish. She missed the 2003 U.S. Open and this year's Australian Open because of a knee injury.
HIM AGAIN: Switzerland's Roger Federer is one guy Roddick probably doesn't want to see on the court. Federer beat Roddick in the Wimbledon final and leads the series 6-1.
"It's always been a dream for me to represent my country, you know, to win a medal there once," Federer said. "I came so close four years ago. I'm really going over there to maybe do one step better."
NUMBERS GAME: Fifty-three countries will be represented, one more than competed in the 2000 Games: 33 in men's singles, 25 in men's doubles, 32 in women's singles and 22 in women's doubles. The host nation, Greece, is in all four draws. Its top player is women's standout Eleni Daniilidou.
"This is the best field we have had for tennis in the Olympic Games," said International Tennis Federation president Francesco Ricci Bitti. "Athens will be only the fifth Olympics since tennis returned as a full medal sport in 1988. It took a few years for the players and the fans to understand what an honor and a privilege it is to compete for your country in the Olympic Games, but the response that we have received shows that the Olympics is now one of the most important events in tennis. At the same time, tennis has become one of the most important events in the Olympic Games."
GATORS IN GREECE: Former University of Florida standouts Mark Merklein (Bahamas) and Lisa Raymond (United States) will compete in doubles. Both won NCAA singles titles for the Gators.
