Andy Roddick will retire after the U.S. Open, the former world No. 1 announced at the tournament site. Roddick, who turned 30 on Thursday, has been riddled by injuries over the past two years and has not won a Masters Series title since the 2010 Miami Masters, and has not reached a Grand Slam final since Wimbledon in 2009.
"I just feel like it's time," Roddick said at his press conference. “I don't know that I'm healthy enough or committed enough to go another year. I've always wanted to, in a perfect world, finish at this event. I have a lot of family and friends here. I've thought all year that I would know when I got to this tournament. When I was playing [Rhyne Williams] my first round, I knew. Certain parts throughout the year, I've thought about it, just with the way my body feels, with the way that I'm able to feel like I'm able to compete now, I don't know that it's good enough. I don't know that I've ever been someone who's interested in existing on tour. I have a lot of interests and a lot of other things that excite me."
Roddick did manage win two small titles this summer at Eastbourne and Atlanta, but he was thoroughly beaten by David Ferrer at Wimbledon and was crushed by Novak Djokovic at the Olympics. While he is nearly the same age as world No. 1 Roger Federer, who just won Wimbledon and continues to stay at the top echelon of the game, an ailing Roddick was increasingly hard pressed to stay in matches with the younger elite players.
"I didn't want to make it through this press conference without a direct comparison to Roger, so thank you for that,” Roddick said with a laugh. “A number is a number. But I think wear and tear and miles is something that's not really an age thing. If you look at my contemporaries that started with me, Roger is the only one that's still going and still going strong. It's a matter of how I feel. If I feel like I'm able to compete at the highest level. Frankly, these guys have gotten really, really, really good. I'm not sure that with compromised health that I can do what I want to do right now."
Roddick, who has won 32 career titles, reached the final of Wimbledon three times, won the U.S. Open in 2003, and also reached the 2006 Flushing Meadows final. Outside of 2003, in all of those other appearances in major finals, he lost to Federer.
Roddick said he was proud to have kept his nose to the grindstone and was fully committed every day for 13-14 years. The Nebraska native, who helped lead the United States to the Davis Cup title in 2007, also said that that he was proud to be the face of American tennis. He said that he would continue to play recreationally and still loves "the innocent parts of the game."
Roddick is scheduled to play Aussie Bernard Tomic in the second round of the tournament on Friday night, but he is unsure how he will perform.
“I talked to [my coach Larry Stefanki] and [my trainer Doug Spreen] and said, I could come out and play great, or it could be the worst thing you've ever seen. I've never done this before. I'm sure it will be very emotional. I'm sure I'll still be nervous. I don't know.
