With the current suspension of the ATP and WTA Tours, we are opening up our US Open vault to bring you full match videos of classic encounters through the years in New York.
Watch on YouTube: Andy Roddick vs. Rafael Nadal, 2004 US Open men's singles second round
Andy Roddick was the defending US Open champion and world No. 2 coming into the 2004 US Open. Turning 22 at the start of the tournament, Roddick was the elder statesman in this marquee matchup against an 18-year-old by the name of Rafael Nadal, who turned pro at the age of 15.
Playing in just his fourth career Grand Slam tournament and second US Open (though he had yet to compete at Roland Garros), Nadal had a strong record of 6-3 at the majors ahead of this second-round encounter. But on his home turf, Roddick was dominant in this matchup, the first of 10 career meetings between the pair.
The American would go on to reach the quarterfinals in '04, before falling victim to Sweden's Joachim Johansson, the No. 28 seed, in a five-set upset. One year later, he was stunned in the opening round by Gilles Muller in three tiebreak sets.
Nadal finished on top in their career head-to-head, 7-3, with their final meeting coming in the 2011 US Open quarterfinals. That time, it was Nadal who came in as the defending champion, and the Spaniard breezed past the No. 21-seeded Roddick before reaching the final. The Spaniard has won four US Open singles titles, in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019, as part of his 19 Grand Slam singles championships.
The complete 2004 match is now available to watch on the US Open YouTube channel. For a coming attraction, view the match highlights below.
