He also finished his tennis career with 32 career titles including the U.S. Open. He was runner-up in four other major tournaments, including three times at Wimbledon
Roddick was also visibly emotional in the final game on the Arthur Ashe Stadium Court and received a huge ovation from the crowd as he bowed out.
'The last five games was hard,' Roddick said after the match. 'Once I got down that break I could barely look at my box. I'm a little overwhelmed right now.'
The seventh-seeded del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, won 6-7 (1), 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-4 in a match spread over two days