Andy Roddick will skip the Olympics this summer in order to prepare for the US Open.
The highest-ranked American in the world at number six, Roddick will warm-up for the year's fourth major by defending his title at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.
‘My goal every summer is to win the US Open,’ Roddick said in a statement released by Legg Mason organisers.
‘I have won the Legg Mason Tennis Classic three times and feel defending my title in Washington best prepares me for another grand slam title.’
The tournament in Washington runs from 11-17 August, the same dates as the Olympic tennis event in Beijing. The US Open starts 25 August.
Roddick has won Legg Mason titles in 2001, 2005 and 2007. He won his lone major at the US Open in 2003.
In the 2004 Olympics at Athens, Roddick was beaten in the third round.
