Autumn is a bitter season for our sport. As soon as the final media frenzy fizzles in NYC, a year’s worth of simmering frustrations and tensions start bubbling to the surface like air pockets in a waterlogged hardcourt. I get cranky about Andy Murray, Federer succumbs to “nagging” injuries, and – without fail – the Top Players start kvetching about scheduling, prize money and anything else that’s determined by non-tennis-playing tennis professionals.

Andy Roddick, who lost his opening round match to Kevin Anderson today at the China Open, showed just how weary tennis players can become – on and off the court – this time of year. When a reporter asked about his retirement plans, he needed a few moments to summon the strength to retort: “I think you should retire.”

Video via Tennis.com:

Somewhere in Switzerland, Roger’s ordering Roddick a crate of Lindor truffles.

Roddick, who was already plenty frustrated during this year’s Great US Open Rain Out, obviously plans to play long enough to care about forming a players’ union. He was quoted in the NYTimes last Thursday:

“Now that the tennis world is reconvening in Asia over the next couple of weeks, we’ll see what the thoughts are of some of the top players in our sport.

“Tennis is a star-driven sport, and if we are going to be unified, all of our stars have to be on the same page.

“Without a union, it’s tough for us to complain about anything. If we don’t unite, we have no one to blame but ourselves.”

I imagine the players To-Do list includes instituting a penalty system for Dumb Press Conference Questions.