The 2003 champion lost to Juan Martin del Potro on Wednesday in four sets in a fourth-round match in the U.S. Open. The 30-year-old Roddick surprised the tennis world last Thursday when he announced that the tournament would be his last.
When it ended with a forehand error at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the American star buried his face in a towel, tears in his eyes as del Potro saluted him.
The seventh-seeded del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champ, won 6-7 (1), 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-4 in a match spread over two days. Rain suspended play Tuesday night one point into a first-set tiebreaker.
Del Potro, who also got off to a slow start a day earlier, looked sluggish in losing the tiebreaker Wednesday. But once he won the second set, the Argentine started to dictate play.
