Andy Roddick makes Iga Swiatek Wimbledon statement after successful Coco Gauff call
Andy Roddick has declared that Iga Swiatek “looks way more comfortable on grass this year” as he weighed in on the Pole’s bid for the 2025 Wimbledon title.
Before the tournament, Roddick successfully predicted that world No 2 and two-time major winner Coco Gauff would lose early at Wimbledon.
“I don’t think Coco makes it to the fourth round,” the American said on his Served podcast. “Grass is going to be her most challenging surface. It just is.”
“She hasn’t won here (Wimbledon) hardly at all. Her best result was when she was like 15? She has not played well on grass at all. The forehand does it no favours.”
Roddick picked world No 1 and three-time Grand Slam titlist Aryna Sabalenka to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish for the first time.
Swiatek, the No 8 seed, has progressed to the fourth round with wins over Polina Kudermetova, Caty McNally and Danielle Collins. The five-time major champion achieved her previous best result at Wimbledon in 2023, when she reached the quarter-finals.
Speaking on his podcast after Swiatek’s third round win, Roddick gave a glowing assessment of the 24-year-old’s form.
“Iga, I don’t know how it looked on TV, Iga was lights out. Iga’s in this tournament to win it, I’m just telling you,” said the 2003 US Open champion.
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“She’s dialled in. Matchups, that’s a tough matchup on grass, like on paper with the ‘Danimal’ and someone that hits hard and flat through the court.
“Iga’s serve, she was thumping it today, 118, 116. I don’t remember her serving that big before. Moving the second serve around, throwing the toss up and like, getting someone to check and then catching it and kind of… but she was in full flight today.
“And not trying to run around forehands, taking the backhand on the bounce. She just looks way more comfortable on grass this year. The other years, you feel like, okay, she’s the best player in the world, by far the best player in the world on clay, but looks a little awkward on grass.
“And this year it’s like, ‘Oh, she might not be the best player in the world on those surfaces this year’, but for some reason, she’s settled a little bit on grass. I mean, 2 and 3 against ‘Danimal’ on grass…
“Her serve looked great, movement looked great, ball flight wasn’t super toppy and loopy, was getting through the court.”
Swiatek will face world No 22 Clara Tauson in the last 16 at the All England Club.
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