08/30/2012 7:46 PM ET
Roddick calling it quits after US Open
Tennis star announces retirement on his 30th birthday
Adam Zagoria / SNY.tv
Tennis star Andy Roddick announced that he will retire after the U.S. Open. (AP)

NEW YORK -- Andy Roddick is calling it a career after this U.S. Open.

Roddick, the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles event, announced on his 30th birthday that this will be his final tournament.

He is scheduled to play Australian Bernard Tomic in Friday's night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium in what could be the final match of his career.

"I have decided that this is going to be my last tournament," Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champ, told a press room packed to the gills. "I don't know if I'm healthy enough or committed enough to continue another year.

"For 13, 14 years, I was invested fully. ... I have been pretty good about keeping my nose to the grindstone. I feel like I've won a lot of matches by being consistent."

Roddick's announcement came 24 hours after three-time Open champ Kim Clijsters announced that she had played her final singles match Wednesday.

Reaction began pouring in from the tennis world, with Patrick McEnroe saying on ESPN, "He went out on his terms. He knew he couldn't compete anymore."

John McEnroe, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, said of Roddick on ESPN: "I didn't think by any means he would do it on his 30th birthday. That's a jarring birthday...Physically, it seems like the wear and tear has caught up with him."

Roger Federer, the world No. 1 who beat Roddick in three Wimbledon finals, said on ESPN: "He seemed extremely happy and at peace and excited, so I wish him the best U.S. Open he's ever had."

Roddick has 32 career ATP World Tour titles, including two this season, and has earned more than $20 million. The biggest came in 2003 at the U.S. Open. He has four doubles titles. He reached No. 1 in the world for the first time in November 2003, becoming the youngest American (21 years, 3 months) to end the year at No. 1 (2003).

He is a three-time Wimbledon finalist (2004-05, '09), losing to Federer each time. The 2009 final ended 16-14 in the fifth set.

"That 16-14 loss was devastating, and I don't think he's ever recovered from that loss," John McEnroe said.

While Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have combined to win 29 of the last 30 Majors, Roddick and others around him became eclipsed by their talent.

Asked about Federer, the 31-year-old world No. 1, during his press conference, Roddick cracked: "I didn't want to make it through this press conference without a direct comparison to Roger, so thank you for that."

He later added: "As much as I was disappointed and frustrated at times, I'm not sure that I ever felt sorry for myself or begrudged anybody any of their success."

Federer, who continues to defy Father Time, said he has no plans to retire.

"Of course it affects me in some ways seeing Andy [going] out," he said. "He's had a great career and I hope I can do the same. I still have hopefully a few more years left. We'll see how it goes."

Roddick owns 33 Davis Cup victories, second in U.S. Davis Cup history, and he helped lead the USA to a Davis Cup title in 2007.

Roddick is married to model and actress Brooklyn Decker, and he even made a cameo appearance in her recent movie, Just Go With It.

Roddick, who has battled injuries in the last couple of years, including this year, said he felt it coming at Wimbledon, when he waved to the crowd after his last match.

"Walking off at Wimbledon, I felt like I knew," he said. "I don't want to disrespect the game by coasting home."

Roddick emerged as the top American man in the post-Pete Sampras/Andre Agassi Era, and he now seems ready to hand the mantle off to younger players like John Isner, Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock, all of whom are still playing here.

"I think John's ready," Roddick said. "Mardy [Fish] is really good with the younger guys. Ryan will play well once he figures everything out. Doesn't change the fact that [I] still live four miles away from him. I'll still kick his ass.

"Even though I won't be competing against them, I think they all know I've never been more than a phone call away from them."

Roddick's final match could come Friday against Tomic, and he said he has no idea what to expect in terms of his emotions.

"I have no idea," he said. "I have no idea...I could come out and play great, or it could be the worst thing you've ever seen.

"I don't know. I've never done this before."

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.

Adam Zagoria is a regular contributor to SNY.tv. Read his blog at ZagsBlog.com and follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria.
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