Dear Andy

Dear Andy,

I just got done watching your match with Lleyton Hewitt. I was your biggest fan, but now I'm forced to re-evaluate my true love for your tennis game. I must ask, if I may, WHERE DID YOU PUT THE REAL ANDY RODDICK?

I was disappointed, Andy, when you gave my friend Barry Gilbert's son Brad the boot as your coach. Brad can be many things, but the one thing he is for sure is a winner. And while you were with him, you were a winner, too.

Under his wing, you won your first major tournament. Under his wing, you went from having potential to actually realizing your potential. Brad even wrote a book that seemed to be an undying love story for you as his pupil. If what he wrote is even half true, my friend's kid was truly the "wind beneath your wings." To leave him so easily, and so quickly, left me empty and wondering why.

Andy, you have great talent, and you can be the best player on the planet earth. Heck, for a while, you were. Your serve was feared. Your groundstrokes were cannons that everyone dreaded to face. You had spark and gumption not unlike another former mid-westerner who graced (or some would say disgraced) the pantheon of champions for over two decades. You had speed, youth, and desire. You were the complete American tennis champion.

Something has changed. I notice it. All your friends notice it. Your parents notice it. Brad, Cliff, Mary Jo, Mary C., and even Chris Fowler of ESPN notice it. As a long-time coach, I even see it before you start your matches. After a complete examination, all of us have figured out that its not your funky hair, or that dreadful new design line of Reebok clothing, not those Pure Drive racquets (although maybe you should switch to one of those new custom Vantage Sport racquets, or even maybe a new 24 mm X-45), nor is it anything in particular about your tennis technique. While none of us can put our finger on it, we all agree that something has changed, and not for the better.

I thought about having an intervention for you, but I haven't been able to get your closest friends to win deep enough into tournaments for them to be around as long as you. I thought about maybe starting a "Can any of us beat Roger Federer?" support group and inviting you, but our schedules wouldn't give either of us any time to do it right. I wrote down many, many tips and other free advice, and it will always be here, but I figure since you are already paying a coach, maybe he will or has already told you my ideas (although based on your play and results, I'm guessing he hasn't hit them yet).

So, my dear A-Rod, I am writing you this letter, to let you know how I and many of us feel. While our love is not conditional, we do have to question some of your recent moves. We have only your best interest at heart, so please listen to what we are saying:

1. Apologize to Brad, and ask him to come back and work with you part-time. I'm not sure if he will, but if you need some help, I can give you his dad's number. Wouldn't hurt to have his support either.

2. Stop trying to become another Taylor Dent, Greg Ruzedski, or any of the other huge-serving, mediocre pros on the tour. Having the world's fastest serve never got my New Jersey neighbor Colin Dibley much more than a foot note in a few books and magazines.

3. Try actually playing as if it was your last match. If there is one thing you are blessed with, it's being an American and having the great privilege to watch Jimmy Connors, Vitas Geralaitas, Johnny Mac, and a host of other all-time greats who never gave less then 150 percent every time they were on court. You know, play with heart, like the guy who beat you yesterday, Lleyton Hewitt!

4. Get to the net, get to the net, GET TO THE NET!

Lastly, Mr. Roddick, please listen carefully to this piece of advice that was given to me by a long-time friend and coach who I trust. She has never lead me down the wrong path, and any advice she has ever given me that I actually listened to and applied has always either enhanced my financial or winning condition. If there is anyone on this planet who has all the answers, on and off the court, she comes the closest. She loves to watch you play and win, too.

So, when I asked her to help me help you, she was more then eager to oblige me. So, I will leave you with this sage, wonderful, and game-transforming advice from a perspective only a woman of her caliber can give. When I asked her what was missing from your game she said, "Gee, that's simple. Why isn't Andy winning anymore? Because he broke up with Mandy Moore. If you break up with a girl as talented, sweet, and beautiful as her, you must be a loser!" Hmmm...

Sincerely,

Tom from Sports Central