Andy Roddick to retire after the 2012 US Open

[jmt225]

NEW YORK -- Andy Roddick will retire after the U.S. Open, he said in a news conference Thursday.

"It's a matter of how I feel, and if I feel I can compete at the highest level," he said of his decision.

Roddick has 32 career titles and won the Open in 2003 for his only major title. He's currently ranked No. 22 in the world.

When asked about his career, the former No. 1 said, "I don't know that I would want to change much."

The 20th-seeded Roddick is scheduled to play Bernard Tomic in the second round on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The American's surprising decision to walk away from the sport comes a day after four-time major champion Kim Clijsters played the last singles match of her career, a second-round loss to Laura Robson at Flushing Meadows.

Roddick celebrated his 30th birthday on Thursday.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

So what are your thoughts on Andy Roddick's career?

Most people look at Roddick's career as a disappointment since he only won one Grand Slam after having so much hype behind him because of his serve, but I completely disagree. Could he have done a better job developing an all around skill set? Absolutely, but he still had a wonderful career if you ask me.

People who discredit him for only win one Grand Slam fail to realize a couple of things. The first thing is that he reached reached four other Grand Slam finals. And the 2nd thing is, he did that during the era of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal... two serious GOAT contender. And lately he's also had to deal with Novak Djokovic, who undoubtedly has an unbelievably great future ahead of him.

For Roddick to accomplish what he has during this era is extremely impressive, and I don't think many others throughout history could have done much more against Federer and Nadal in their prime.

Also, let's face it... Roddick has been the only American male tennis star worth a damn for ten years now. Without him, American male tennis would have been the shits. He at least gave us someone to root for during every Grand Slam, and he competed his ass off.

I'll say the only major disappointment about his career is the 2009 Wimbledon loss, which in my opinion is what broke him. Since then he has not been the same, and you can't blame him. That was one of the most heartbreaking losses in the history of sports, period. Had he won that... not only do I think he would have competed better these last couple of years, but his legacy would have been much more respected than it probably will end up being.

Regardless of what others think though, Andy Roddick has my respect and my full support during this US Open. I'm definitely rooting for him to go out with a bang. If he doesn't, then that's fine; he's still had a hell of a career as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Remix]

So what are your thoughts on Andy Roddick's career?

Most people look at Roddick's career as a disappointment since he only won one Grand Slam after having so much hype behind him because of his serve, but I completely disagree. Could he have done a better job developing an all around skill set? Absolutely, but he still had a wonderful career if you ask me.

People who discredit him for only win one Grand Slam fail to realize a couple of things. The first thing is that he reached reached four other Grand Slam finals. And the 2nd thing is, he did that during the era of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal... two serious GOAT contender. And lately he's also had to deal with Novak Djokovic, who undoubtedly has an unbelievably great future ahead of him.

For Roddick to accomplish what he has during this era is extremely impressive, and I don't think many others throughout history could have done much more against Federer and Nadal in their prime.

Also, let's face it... Roddick has been the only American male tennis star worth a damn for ten years now. Without him, American male tennis would have been the shits. He at least gave us someone to root for during every Grand Slam, and he competed his ass off.

I'll say the only major disappointment about his career is the 2009 Wimbledon loss, which in my opinion is what broke him. Since then he has not been the same, and you can't blame him. That was one of the most heartbreaking losses in the history of sports, period. Had he won that... not only do I think he would have competed better these last couple of years, but his legacy would have been much more respected than it probably will end up being.

Regardless of what others think though, Andy Roddick has my respect and my full support during this US Open. I'm definitely rooting for him to go out with a bang. If he doesn't, then that's fine; he's still had a hell of a career as far as I'm concerned.

Well, that makes two players retiring at Flushing Meadows, as Kim Clijsters is doing the same (though she was shockingly defeated yesterday by Laura Robson).

As for Roddick, I always liked him. Back when I was younger I was a sucker for guys with big serves, and nobody had a bigger serve than Andy Roddick. But he was unfortunate to play in Federer's time, and it was Federer who ruined him IMO. Their head to head is 21-3 in favor of the Swiss. Nadal made things even harder, but by the end of 2004 (before Nadal was really at the top of his game) Federer had beaten Roddick 8 times and lost only one match to him.

 

[Alastor]

I don't think that Wimbledon final broke him. He was still playing well immediately after that. I think what broke him was the emergence of Djokovic's incredible 2011 which made him realise he had not one, not two, but three unstoppable machines standing in his way in the Majors. To beat one of them would take a lot of effort, but to beat two in a row is very difficult and few has achieved that.

Add in Andy Murray's growth into the 'best of the rest' during this time I think he felt he couldn't beat two great players in a row in each Major regardless of which side of the draw he ended up in.

 

[Richard Blonoff]

I've always felt that Roddick was judged unfairly. I think a lot of people here in the States built him up way to much. We hadn't had a mens star in some time, so when this guy from Texas with a big serve wins the US Open, we went crazy. I think when you consider the talent he played against he had a decent career, but he was never going to be that Great American Hope that people built him up to be.

 

[lowandmighty]

I have a lot of respect for Roddick, despite his somewhat boring style of play which relied heavily on slamming down ace after ace he was always one of the more entertaining players to watch with his temper tantrums and loved arguing with the umpires. I specifically remember him asking an umpire once if he had ears attached to his head when the crowd wasn't being quiet.

It was tough seeing him lose the 2009 final against Federer and Roddick appropriately cut off Federer during his victory speech praising Roddicks efforts when Roddick said something along the lines of "yeah thanks you've won 5 Wimbledon's" and you could tell Roddick was holding back from saying "asshole" and well done to him for that.

People seem to dwell on this 2003 U.S open win. In my opinion that wasn't the highlight of his career, it was winning the Davis cup in 2007 breaking a 12 year drought for America.
He never won Wimbledon and he never won the tour finals but was it a failure of a career? no way.
He was a great player. One of the best. People also seem to go on about how Roger Federer stopped him from winning more majors. It wasn't just Rog he played in an era full of great players who got in his way. Andre Agassi decided to have a late run of glory during Roddicks prime, Agassi beat him 5 times. Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Ferrer, Del potro (who ended his career) and going back to Roddicks prime Lleyton Hewitt was always there showing him up. Roddick ended up getting the better of Hewitt in the end but Hewitt had the last laugh at this years Australian open causing Roddick to retire injured when he wrong footed Roddick. A set back Roddick didn't need. Hewitt a player who hasn't won as many career titles as Roddick but won more grand slams, more matches that went to 5 sets, more Davis cups, more tour finals and was number 1 in the world way longer than Roddick and who beat Roger Federer more times than Roddick was probably Andy Roddicks main rival who was still in the same league. By that I mean not in the league of Federer, Nadal, Murray or Djokovic. So I don't think Roddick should retire, he should press on a couple more years. Thats just the way she goes I guess. I'm sad he's retiring and I want him to take a page out of Hewitt's book and not give up just because it looks well and truly over, after all he could still play doubles. God even Hewitt won a doubles grand slam too, this list seems to go on for this Hewitt the more I research it.

 

[Why Always Me]

Whilst Wimbledon 2009 was what started his final decline so to speak, I believe a match that was just as important was the 2004 Wimbledon final.

Federer and Roddick were 1 and 2 in the world, Federer was the Australian Open and defending Wimbledon Champion and Roddick was the US Open Champion. Federer however had a 5-1 head to head over Roddick at the time. Roddick won the first set, lost a tight second set and was a break up int the 3rd when it started raining. When the match restarted Federer took the 3rd set on a tie-break and broke early in the 4th. Even though Roddick has 5 or 6 break point opportunities Federer held out for the win. Federer then beat Roddick a couple more times in 2004 and won the US Open as well, demolishing Hewitt. However had Roddick won that match I feel things would have been very different. I am not saying Roddick would have dominated but I believe Federer would not have been quite as dominating as he has.

As much as I liked Roddick, Hewitt and Safin, they simply didn't have the tools to hang with Federer. Roddick also had another good chance at the US Open in 2006, a set a piece and 0-40 on Federer's serve in the 3rd set, maybe if he had broken him there and took the 3rd set he could have gone back to the top of the game. But it didn't happen. Watching Roddick slow down his serve and forehand was just sad to watch IMO, I think he should have improved his backhand and volleying rather than change his whole game.

He definitely deserved a Wimbledon title though, but at the same time he has had a career that 95% of tennis players would kill for.

 

[Remix]

As much as I liked Roddick, Hewitt and Safin, they simply didn't have the tools to hang with Federer. Roddick also had another good chance at the US Open in 2006, a set a piece and 0-40 on Federer's serve in the 3rd set, maybe if he had broken him there and took the 3rd set he could have gone back to the top of the game. But it didn't happen. Watching Roddick slow down his serve and forehand was just sad to watch IMO, I think he should have improved his backhand and volleying rather than change his whole game.

No, he couldn't. By 2006, the days where players like Roddick and Rusedski could do well for themselves based on the power of their serve alone were over. The game was slowing down and consistent baseline rallying became the way to get to the top.

In an era where a clay court specialist can win Wimbledon (twice), Roddick was never going to be long for the top.

 

[Why Always Me]

No, he couldn't. By 2006, the days where players like Roddick and Rusedski could do well for themselves based on the power of their serve alone were over. The game was slowing down and consistent baseline rallying became the way to get to the top.

In an era where a clay court specialist can win Wimbledon (twice), Roddick was never going to be long for the top.

I didn't mean world number 1, in 2006 Roddick was still up there making the later stages of slams, beating his nemesis in the US Open final would have been a huge boost for him.

Roddick himself said he focused on Federer too much rather than his own game and this hurt him in the long run. If he had managed to get the better of Federer in a big match maybe he wouldn't have focused on Federer as much.