Andy Roddick comes into the 2009 US Open at a crossroads of his career.

After a strong showing at the Wimbledon 2009 tournament, Andy Roddick is back to top form. He’s spent countless hours each week focusing on keeping his body in the best shape possible, and Roddick’s tennis has markedly improved as a result.

At the same time, Roddick is aging and the clock is ticking on his career. His role in men’s tennis is crucial right now, as he’s really the only player who stands a chance to bring the US its first grand slam since Roddick captured the championship in 2003.

Roddick is older than all of the men’s top 5 tennis players, with the exception of the world’s top-ranked player, Roger Federer. And as far as Federer’s concerned, he’s playing better tennis than he has in quite some time, as he’s experienced a revival of his own.

The writing is on the wall for Andy Roddick. He was literally inches away from overcoming one of his obstacles in the 2009 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer, but that must be forgotten as he looks to make a solid run at the two hard court slams and of course on grass at Wimbledon.

At this point in his career, Roddick’s window is beginning to close. He probably has three or four effective years left, but many tennis players age into their late 20s as they slide in the rankings.

He got a slight taste of what he is capable of at Wimbledon, now it is up to Andy Roddick to close the deal and hush any critics he may still have.

There would be no better place for Roddick to win than in front of a home crowd in New York. Time will tell if he has what it takes.

Andy Roddick is at an inflection point as far as his career is concerned. The 2009 US Open could dictate where his career goes from here.

After a strong showing at the Wimbledon 2009 tournament, Andy Roddick is back to top form. He’s spent countless hours each week focusing on keeping his body in the best shape possible, and Roddick’s tennis has markedly improved as a result.

While Roddick is in great shape at the moment, time isn’t exactly his friend right now. Currently 26, he’ll be 27 by the end of the calendar year, which really only leaves him with a few more years to play effective tennis. The American tennis world is counting on Roddick to come through for them, as other Americans like Blake, Fish, and Querrey aren’t considered legitimate contenders for a Grand Slam.

At year’s end, he’ll be 27 years old. While he currently stands 5th in the world, three of the four ahead of him are four years younger or more. The other? Roger Federer, who has had a rebirth of his own to coincide with Roddick. In fact, Federer has been the thorn in his side for years.

It must be frustrating for Roddick, who was literally points away from winning his first ever Wimbledon again Roger Federer in the finals earlier this summer. This was a classic match that truly could have gone either way.

Realistically, he might only have seven legitimate chances left in his career. By the end of 2011, he’ll be on the verge of 30 years old, which might as well be 60 in tennis years.

Wimbledon was a perfect showcase of Roddick’s talents. With one of the best serves in the game and some impressive ground strokes, a fit Andy Roddick could stick around as one of the world’s elite players for quite some time if he keeps up this level of fitness.

There would be no better place for Roddick to win than in front of a home crowd in New York. Time will tell if he has what it takes.