US Open Finalist Andy Roddick on why he has no self-interest in playing for his country:
Andy Roddick’s attempt to stretch the Davis Cup semifinals to a fifth and deciding match came up short Sunday as the American came back from two sets down, but still fell to Dmitry Tursunov 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 17-15 as Russia advances to the final against Argentina.
“Being honest, I’m not feeling a whole lot of positive things right now,” Roddick said. “Davis Cup losses are the toughest to take because you’re not playing for selfish reasons. You feel like you let your teammates down, your country down. It’s tough It’s not an easy thing, especially to fight back all that way and to lose. It’s tough.” [emphasis added]
Isn’t Roddick playing for his teammates and his country? That is selfish — if you value your teammates and you love your country — because one does have a self-interest in the outcome.