Já estava quase publicando um post falando da minha chegada em NY, da minha credencial, a mesma desde 1997, da minha mesa na sala de imprensa que continua no mesmo lugar, até que ouvi um anúncio para uma coletiva do Roddick. Era para anunciar a aposentadoria dele.
O post já escrito vai ficar para uma outra oportunidade. Primeiro a notícia e de um jogador que eu de fato vi aparecer, chegar ao auge e agora anunciar a aposentadoria.

Logo que o anúncio da coletiva foi divulgado no alto-falante de sala de imprensa, pensei se tratar de uma ação de mídia para fotografarem o americano com um bolo de aniversário. Mas, as reações dos colegas jornalistas foram bem diferentes. Já previam que ele anunciaria a aposentadoria. Os rumores foram se intesificando para mim quando até os jornalistas argentinos, sentados ao meu lado, deram voz à informação.
Até a coletiva começar estava pensando que podia ser uma festividade, mas logo que trocaram a plaquinha do nome de Mardy Fish para Andy Roddick, deu para perceber que o assunto era sério.
Campeão do US Open em 2003, Roddick entrou na sala de imprensa e foi curto e grosso: “Vou ser rápido. Decidi que este será o meu último torneio.”
Durante 40 minutos Roddick explicou como tomou a decisão e deixou claro que os motivos são físicos. “Chegou a hora. Não acho que estou bem fisicamente o suficiente ou tão comprometido para jogar por mais um ano. Até pensei em jogar só alguns torneios no ano que vem, mas nem eu estava me convencendo.”
Roddick contou que resolveu avisar hoje, antes de entrar em quadra para o próximo jogo contra Bernard Tomic, porque queria que todos estivessem presentes, queria poder se despedir do público.
Engraçado que hoje, quando fui ao Player’s Lounge conversar com o Rogerinho, dei de cara com o Tarik Benhabiles, primeiro treinador de Roddick e pensei, nossa, ele está de volta ao circuito. Talvez já tenha vindo para a despedida de Roddick, assim como a esposa e a filha de Ken Meyerson, agente do tenista que faleceu no ano passado, vítima de um ataque cardíaco.
Enquanto Roddick falava, eu ia lembrando da carreira dele na minha cabeça. A primeira vez que eu vi o americano jogar foi na final do Banana Bowl, no ano 2000. Naquela época ele já era o número um do mundo juvenil e conhecido por sua arrogância.
Com o passar dos anos, ele foi se transformando. Deixou a arrogância de lado para se tornar no embaixador do tênis americano por quase uma década.
Já devo ter contado essa história várias vezes, mas lembro do primeiro jogo dele contra o Guga, no ano 2001, no Masters 1000 do Canadá. Ele ganhou e logo na semana seguinte, em Cincinnati, Guga devolveu a derrota.
Naquele mesmo 2001, ele alcançaria as quartas-de-fial do US Open e dois anos mais tarde venceria o Grand Slam americano, o único da sua carreira, apesar de ter alcançado as finais de Wimbledon em 2004, 2005 e 2009, perdendo todas para Federer.
Além de ter erguido o trofeu do US Open, Roddick ganhou a Copa Davis, foi número um do mundo e serviu de exemplo para toda essa geração de americanos, os que já estão mais consolidados como John Isner e Sam Querrey e os novatos, como Jack Sock.
Mas, da mesma maneria que ganhou títulos – foram 32 no total – Roddick nem sempre viveu uma relação das mais amorosas com o público americano. Primeiro achavam que ele seria o substituto para Pete Sampras e Andre Agassi, e depois que conseguiria rivalizar diretamente com Federer, Nadal, Murray e Djokovic. Ganhou alguns jogos mas nunca entrou para o grupo dos Fab 4.
A matéria que o New York Times publicou, na semana passada, “The Gift of Roddick,” dizendo que os americanos não tem o verdadeiro respeito pelo que o tenista conquistou e pelo que representa, vem a calhar neste exato momento da aposentadoria. Agora sim os americanos vão ficar órfãos de um líder. Por mais que eu goste do John Isner, ele ainda não chegou nem perto de ganhar um Grand Slam. E para você ser sobresair no país que mais ganhou medalhas olímpicas, precisa ser um verdadeiro campeão, como Roddick foi.
Lembro quando estava lendo o livro que o ex-jogador, fundador da ATP, Hall of Famer e um dos grandes nomes do marketing esportivo, Donald Dell escreveu, que uma passagem me marcou. Dell foi o fundador da ProServ, depois de se formar em direito e se tornar agente de Arthur Ashe e Michael Jordan. A ProServ depois se tornou SFX e Lagardere e Andy Roddick, um de seus clientes. No livro, “Nunca Faça a Primeira Oferta,” Dell conta como foi a negociação do contrato de Roddick com a Lacoste e diz que estavam falando em bônus de número um do mundo, de top 10, campeão de Grand Slam, até que chegaram num impasse do que aconteceria se o tenista ficasse fora dos top 20. Roddick foi imediato na resposta: “Se isso acontecer, quero me aposentar.”
Foi a decisão que ele tomou. Viu que não estava conseguindo render o máximo fisicamente, que devido isso estava desgastado mentalmente e em vez de ser apenas mais um no circuito, resolveu deixar o tênis.
Perdi a despedida de Clijsters ontem, mas ainda posso ver o jogo final de Andy Roddick e por ter acompanhado o surgimento dele, a chegada ao topo, os altos e baixos da carreira, as controvérsias, as grandes vitórias e derrotas, como a da primeira rodada em 2005, para Gilles Muller, quando havia sido contratado para ser o garoto propaganda da American Express, com uma campanha gigantesca nos EUA em cima dele, enfim, por me sentir mesmo uma pessoa que acompanhou a carreira dele de perto, a despedida tem mais significado.
O jogo contra Bernard Tomic, nesta sexta, 12 anos depois da estreia no US Open, em que perdeu contra Albert Costa, pode vir a ser o último da carreira de Andy Roddick.
Foram duas finais (um título d. Ferrero 63 76 63 e um vice-campeonato / perdeu para Federer 62 46 75 61), e 6 quartas-de-final em NY, sendo a última no ano passado, em que perdeu para Nadal.
“Se eu estiver mais emotivo em quadra amanhã, todo mundo já sabe porque,” avisou Roddick.
Para quem quiser, aqui estão os principais trechos da coletiva!
ANDY RODDICK: Thank you all for coming. I’ll make this short and sweet.
I’ve decided that this is going to be my last tournament.
TIM CURRY: Questions?
Q. Why now?
ANDY RODDICK: I just feel like it’s time. 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 my first round, I knew.
Q. Is it something you’ve been wrestling with for days, weeks, or months?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, it’s been a process. It’s certainly not days. I don’t know that I would have had you all come in here and waste your time if it had been days.
You know, certain parts throughout the year, I’ve thought about it. You know, 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. I’m looking forward to those.
Q. I’m assuming the high point is 2003 here. So good place to bow out.
ANDY RODDICK: I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t view it in a scope of where you had your best win. I’ve had a lot of different memories. I’ll certainly look back. I feel like I’d be cheating the other memories if I said one was the highlight.
You know, I feel like I’ve been very lucky. That’s certainly not lost on me.
Q. How emotional is this for you? I know you like to make light of things. Now that it’s final for you, how emotional is it? What was it about that first‑round match that clicked?
ANDY RODDICK: I don’t know. On some big moments this year, I think I’ve known. You know, walking off at Wimbledon, I felt like I knew. Playing here, I don’t know what it was. I couldn’t imagine myself being there in another year.
I’ve always, for whatever my faults have been, felt like I’ve never done anything halfway. Probably the first time in my career that I can sit here and say I’m not sure that I can put everything into it physically and emotionally. I don’t know that I want to disrespect the game by coasting home. I had plans to play a smaller schedule next year. But the more I thought about it, I think you either got to be all in or not. You know, that’s more kind of the way I’ve chosen to do things.
Q. Is there an emotional element to this? You’ve sat alone and thought about it, talked to family?
ANDY RODDICK: Yeah, I mean, I’ve had some hard conversations with Brooke this year, with Doug and Larry. You know, it was Brooke and I’s little secret over the last couple days. I talked to Larry and Doug today.
We had talked about it throughout the year, obviously. Talked to a bunch of my friends that are here. It’s time.
Q. Why not wait until after your final match, your birthday? Did you want to give the fans an opportunity?
ANDY RODDICK: Those are good reasons. I think I wanted an opportunity to say good‑bye to people, as well. I don’t know how tomorrow’s going to go. I hope it goes well and I hope I’m sticking around. I just imagine being off the court tomorrow in an empty locker room.
I think I wanted a chance to say good‑bye. Also, if I do run into some emotions tomorrow or in four days or however long, I don’t want people to think I’m a little unstable, or more unstable (smiling). That’s why I came to this decision.
Q. You are playing under the lights on Ashe tomorrow for potentially what could be the last time. What do you anticipate your emotions will be?
ANDY RODDICK: I have no idea. I have no idea. I talked to Larry and Doug and said, 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.
I’m sure it will be very emotional. I’m sure I’ll still be nervous. I don’t know.
Q. Did Ken’s passing at all in any outside way sort of influence where you are, in this decision at all, where you are in the game?
ANDY RODDICK: Maybe. I don’t know. Ken was certainly a huge, huge part of everything for me. He believed in me from very early on. You know, that certainly wasn’t easy for me.
But, you know, his wife and his daughter are going to come up, so that will be really nice to have them here.
Q. Like any top American athlete, you’re praised, you’re criticized. What are you most proud of in your run, your career? If you could point to one or two things that you might have changed, what would that be?
ANDY RODDICK: I don’t know that I would change much. Obviously I think everybody would want to win a match or two more. Had I won a match or two more, we’d be looking back at something a little bit different.
But that’s also shaped kind of who I am and how I’ve been able to learn. You know, if everything would have been easy the whole way, who knows how you’d view things. I’m pretty content with the way I do.
Q. The first part of that question, what are you most proud of?
ANDY RODDICK: You know, I was pretty good for a long time. The reason I gave earlier about not feeling like I could be committed to this thing a hundred percent, that’s one of the things I’m proud of. That for 13 or 14 years, I was invested fully, every day. I’ve seen a lot of people throughout that time be invested for a year, kind of tap out for a year, come back. I’ve been pretty good about keeping my nose to the grindstone.
I feel like I won a lot of matches from hard work and persistence, even maybe when I had better options as far as shot‑making.
Q. You said there’s some interesting things you’d like to move on to do. What are they? What does your wife think of this decision?
ANDY RODDICK: I haven’t asked her yet (laughter). I’m joking.
A lot of stuff with my foundation will probably be my primary focus from here for a little bit. Obviously I’ve gone over to the dark side with you guys with the radio show a little bit. So that’s fun. It’s something I enjoy doing. I’ll probably build on that a little bit.
There are some other things also. I’m looking forward to it.
Q. What does this place mean to you?
ANDY RODDICK: It’s meant a lot. It’s the highest of highs and probably the lowest of lows also. It’s certainly never been boring. I’ve always enjoyed the energy. I feel like each Grand Slam is almost a microcosm of the place it’s played in.
This is a show. It’s New York City in every way. I’m glad that I’ve been a very, very small part of it.
Q. You mentioned you talked to Doug and Larry. What were the reaction of some of your friends?
ANDY RODDICK: Some are still learning. I didn’t want to tell the guys that had to play, so James is going to be surprised. Dougie was a little baby about it all (laughter). Lost a lot of man respect for him.
Everyone is a little stunned just because of the finality of it all, but I don’t think anybody was really surprised. I think the people that know me know that I’ve been thinking about it for a little bit.
It’s the time. I think they all understood that. They’re all happy. Some of my friends are excited because it means more golf rounds. I see some head nodding there.
No, everyone’s been very supportive.
Q. To play another match at night, how much have you enjoyed night matches here at the Open and how much different are they from day matches?
ANDY RODDICK: I mean, it’s the most electric atmosphere in our sport. There’s something about it. There’s a lot of eyeballs on TV sets from people who don’t even normally watch tennis during night matches of the US Open. I think I’ve played as many as anyone.
Again, it’s just something I’ll look back on with really fond memories. Hopefully won’t be my last one.
Q. Do you think it’s going to be an adjustment to be at home? You guys are world wanderers. You haven’t really ever stayed at home for years on end.
ANDY RODDICK: You know, I don’t think I’m foolish enough to think that it’s all going to be easy for me. I don’t know that I would be that presumptuous.
I love my home life, my friends, my wife. My dog is going to be excited. I’m not going to be a dead‑beat dad anymore (smiling). It will be an adjustment, but hopefully if I ever want to come say hi to you all, they’ll give me a credential.
Foto de Roddick – Cynthia Lum