Former American tennis star Andy Roddick recently discussed Aryna Sabalenka’s latest Grand Slam disappointment. Speaking on a new mini-episode of his podcast ‘Served,’ Roddick voiced his support for the Belarusian star after her tight semifinal loss to Amanda Anisimova at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships. The American said he feels for Sabalenka, who he believes has been “far and away the best player in the world” this season.
Crushing Semifinal Defeat Derails Aryna Sabalenka’s Title Hopes
Sabalenka came into the grass-court Major as the top seed and one of the strong favorites to win her first Wimbledon title. With semifinal runs already under her belt from 2021 and 2023, many believed this was her moment to break through finally.
In her early rounds, the Belarusian looked nearly untouchable, cruising past Carson Branstine, Marie Bouzková, Emma Raducanu, Elise Mertens, and Laura Siegemund. But her hopes came to a sudden halt in the final four, where 13th seed Amanda Anisimova defeated her 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
“The moment of this young woman’s life” 👏
Amanda Anisimova completes an extraordinary semi-final to defeat No.1 seed Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and book her spot in her first ever #Wimbledon final 💥
Take. A. Bow. ♥️ pic.twitter.com/WexH4VL2k2
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2025
On Served, Roddick clarified that Sabalenka’s current level is unmatched. “I feel for Sabalenka just because she’s been far and away the best player in the world this year,” he said. “I don’t even think there’s a close second.”
While praising her consistency and dominance on tour, Roddick pointed to a troubling trend in her Grand Slam performances this season. “It’s just this weird thing where you lose a tight final to Maddie [Madison Keys], you lose a tight final to Coco [Gauff], and a tight semifinal to Anisimova,” he said, referencing Sabalenka’s run of narrow losses at the 2025 Australian Open, 2025 French Open, and now Wimbledon.
According to Roddick, these repeated setbacks in the business end of major tournaments can begin to weigh on even the strongest athletes. “At what point do you think about that stuff a little bit, right? I mean, she couldn’t lose going into the Australian Open final this year.”
Andy Roddick Warns of the Psychological Toll of Repeated Grand Slam Losses
He acknowledged that Sabalenka is still in her prime and likely to capture more Grand Slam titles, but he warned that the emotional toll of coming up just short again and again could slowly chip away at her mental edge.
“She’s still going to win a lot more Majors,” Roddick said, “but there will be some mental gymnastics that these three losses late in Slams, they’ll creep in a little bit, and that’s sports. That’s being an athlete. That’s what you have to deal with.”
MORE: ‘You Don’t Want to Exist’ — Aryna Sabalenka Gets Brutally Honest After Wimbledon Failure
