Andy Roddick Wins, Confirms He Isn't Missing Dubai Because of Fake Hernia

Andy Roddick won his first tournament of the year on Sunday. He beat some guy 7-5, 7-5 for his 27th career victory, third most among active players.

That isn't really the story here. Roddick is, and I won't deny this, my favorite professional athlete alive. Not because he wins all the time or anything like that, just because he seems like one of the few "real" people in sports. He doesn't bullshit us. He tells it like it is.

That is why his decision to skip the Dubai Tennis Championships after Israeli player Shahar Peer was denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates (that Lisa Olson brilliantly wrote about here) was so, well, Andy. After his win today, Roddick gave the media another soundbite that is sure to be around for a while when someone asked if the real reason he was missing Dubai was because of a hernia.

"There's no other reason. Obviously, I don't have a hernia. I probably wouldn't have played too well today. I would ask you guys to check but that might be inappropriate. I'm 100 percent healthy," Roddick said.

I applaud what Roddick has done here. There is no reason to hide behind what you stand up for, and from what I've seen from the 2003 U.S. Open champion, he would never do such a thing.

Good job, Andy. It's pretty darn easy to be a fan of yours, especially when you realize winning isn't the only reason to applaud someone.