By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, Might 28, 2025
Picture credit score: Mateo Villalba/Getty
Andy Roddick is not a health care provider, however the former No. 1 can detect dysfunction.
On the subject 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 received 4 French Open championships prior to now 5 years, owns a 23-match profitable streak on the match and is motivated chasing historical past and an Open Period file fourth consecutive Roland Garros crown.
Corridor of Famer Roddick stated 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 advised 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 present.
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 file vs. Swiatek.
Nonetheless, Roddick believes Swiatek will develop sharper and extra assured as she progresses in Paris.
“I feel individuals are fully underestimating Iga Swiatek,” Roddick stated. “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 suppose {that a} powerful 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 excellent at closing.
“I nonetheless suppose 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 12 months, Indian Wells champion Mirra Andreeva, may make a title run.
“Mirra Andreeva may additionally go all the way in which, there’s little doubt, and she or he beat Sabalenka on the French Open final 12 months,” Roddick stated. “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 powerful as a result of it’s so match-up primarily based, and she or he’s 0-4 or 0-5 towards Coco Gauff—who she may meet within the semis – and I belief the match-ups typically.
“However in the event you needed to look sensible and simply say Andreeva goes to win going into every of the following 4, 5 or 6 Slams, you then’re going to be sensible a type of occasions.”
