By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, Might 28, 2025
Picture credit score: Mateo Villalba/Getty
Andy Roddick is not a physician, however the former No. 1 can detect dysfunction.
In the case of reigning Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek, Roddick says the tennis world is affected by collective amnesia.
Talking to to Betway Sports for its Roland Garros preview, Roddick says these writing off Swiatek are forgetting she’s received 4 French Open championships previously 5 years, owns a 23-match profitable streak on the match and is motivated chasing historical past and an Open Period report fourth consecutive Roland Garros crown.
Corridor of Famer Roddick mentioned if he had been Swiatek, he’d be so irritated by some marginalizing her possibilities, he’d say: Screw you to skeptics.
“If Iga will get to the quarters or semis, she’s going to have a chip on her shoulder,” Roddick told Betway. “Individuals are forgetting about her actually shortly.
“If I had received 4 of the final 5 French Opens, I’d really feel like, “screw you guys.”
Although Swiatek has not reached a last since pounding Jasmine Paolini within the 2024 Roland Garros last, she’s surrendered simply 9 video games in two tournamenet wins. Swiatek shredded former US Open champion Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-2 within the second spherical at the moment.
If seeds maintain true to kind, Swiatek would face a stiff take a look at within the spherical of 16 towards both Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina or the Pole’s private nemesis, 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, who owns an astounding 6-0 lifetime report vs. Swiatek.
Nonetheless, Roddick believes Swiatek will develop sharper and extra assured as she progresses in Paris.
“I believe persons are utterly underestimating Iga Swiatek,” Roddick mentioned. “She’s getting judged towards her personal shadow proper now, which is immense, however she nonetheless made the semis in Madrid and Australia. It’s not as if she hadn’t performed any good tennis.
“I really weirdly assume {that a} robust draw will get her dialled in. She’s by no means misplaced a Grand Slam last – when she will get to the tail finish of Grand Slams, she’s superb at closing.
“I nonetheless assume Sabalenka might be the favourite going into any match she enters proper now, however I wouldn’t look previous Iga.”
Whereas Roddick charges world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka as clear favourite to win a maiden Roland Garros title, if she falters he believes the lady who knocked Sabalenka out of Paris final yr, Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva, might make a title run.
“Mirra Andreeva might additionally go all the best way, there’s little doubt, and he or she beat Sabalenka on the French Open final yr,” Roddick mentioned. “To me it’s when, not if, with Andreeva. She’ll win a Slam in a short time within the subsequent 18 months. Is it going to be on clay at this one?
“It’s robust as a result of it’s so match-up based mostly, and he or she’s 0-4 or 0-5 towards Coco Gauff—who she might meet within the semis – and I belief the match-ups typically.
“However in case you wished to look good and simply say Andreeva goes to win going into every of the subsequent 4, 5 or 6 Slams, then you definately’re going to be good a kind of occasions.”
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