Roddick takes in Hall of Fame honor in Newport

NEWPORT, R.I. — On Friday, Andy Roddick strolled the corridors of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport with his son Hank, passing by all of the incredible memorabilia stored inside the famous building.

"You walk through this place and I'm like walking through my childhood with these super stars who were super human. At some point I was this eight- or nine-year-old who was obsessed with tennis and then all of a sudden 12 years later you're on tour and it's your reality..." Roddick told Baseline.

"Now to be able to hang out with them in Newport forever is something that's just beyond me. I don't know that it'll ever be real."

The 34-year-old has been retired for just under five years, having played his final match at the 2012 US Open (a fourth-round loss to Juan Martin del Potro). The decision to stop seemed sudden, especially to his American fans, but Roddick never planned to play beyond his early 30s.

(Photo: Kate Whitney Lucey)

"I had to be first before Roger and Rafa at something..." Roddick said. "I think most Americans know that they'll probably retire at the US Open... I went into the '12 US Open thinking probably another year or two. I woke up after my first-round match and just felt like it was time and I was retired by 4:30 p.m. that afternoon."

As Roger Federer eyes the No. 1 spot (again) at the age of 35 after winning Grand Slam No. 19, it certainly feels unusual that the one-year younger Roddick is already deep into his post-retirement life.

"It made my life a lot easier when I stopped trying to compare myself to Roger," Roddick said. "Certainly no one knows more about what Roger is capable on the court, but me and a couple of others... You always thought Roger had the potential to do that, but to come back and be dominant again at 35, it's not one tournament. It's insane."

Not that Roddick has forgotten, but in case you have, Federer is the man that singlehandedly stopped Roddick from winning four more majors. The Swiss beat him in the 2006 US Open final and 2004, '05 and '09 Wimbledon finals.

The last one hurt the most, and it's a Wimbledon finalist dish that sits in Roddick's section of the Hall of Fame. While Roddick tossed out most of his trophies in a recent move (he won 32 titles during his 12-year career), he's going to want to hold onto the US Open hardware forever.

"I snuck into the players lounge of the US Open when I was nine..." Roddick said. "It's so much more than even just my pro career. There was a history with the US Open before anyone really knew I played tennis at all...

"I'll always hold a special place in my heart for sure."

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