By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, Could 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.
Chatting with to Betway Sports activities for its Roland Garros preview, Roddick says these writing off Swiatek are forgetting she’s gained 4 French Open championships up to now 5 years, owns a 23-match successful streak on the match and is motivated chasing historical past and an Open Period file fourth consecutive Roland Garros crown.
Corridor of Famer Roddick mentioned if he had been Swiatek, he’d be so aggravated by some marginalizing her probabilities, 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 instructed Betway. “Individuals are forgetting about her actually shortly.
“If I had gained 4 of the final 5 French Opens, I’d really feel like, “screw you guys.”
Although Swiatek has not reached a ultimate since pounding Jasmine Paolini within the 2024 Roland Garros ultimate, 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 present.
If seeds maintain true to kind, Swiatek would face a stiff take a look at within the spherical of 16 in opposition to both Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina or the Pole’s private nemesis, 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko, who owns an astounding 6-0 lifetime file vs. Swiatek.
Nonetheless, Roddick believes Swiatek will develop sharper and extra assured as she progresses in Paris.
“I feel persons are fully underestimating Iga Swiatek,” Roddick mentioned. “She’s getting judged in opposition to 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 ultimate – 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 girl 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 way in which, 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 primarily based, and he or she’s 0-4 or 0-5 in opposition to Coco Gauff—who she might meet within the semis – and I belief the match-ups generally.
“However if you happen to wished to look good and simply say Andreeva goes to win going into every of the following 4, 5 or 6 Slams, you then’re going to be good a kind of instances.”
#Iga #Swiatek #Screw
