Former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick didn’t hold back when reflecting on Iga Świątek’s shocking semifinal defeat to Coco Gauff at the 2025 Madrid Open.
In a match that many expected to be tightly contested, the five-time Grand Slam winner was soundly beaten by Gauff, who advanced to her third WTA 1000 final.
Andy Roddick Believes Iga Świątek’s Crushing Defeat to Coco Gauff Is a Real ‘Cause for Concern’
Świątek came into Madrid looking to defend her 2024 title and reclaim momentum during a season that’s seen her consistently reach the late stages of tournaments but fall short of lifting a trophy. Despite deep runs at the Australian Open, Qatar Open, and Indian Wells, the World No. 2 has not won a title in 2025.
Madrid was supposed to be a turnaround point. Świątek came into the tournament as the No. 2 seed and was expected to make another deep run. After cruising past Alexandra Eala, Linda Nosková, Diana Shnaider and Madison Keys, the Polish star ran into fourth seeded Gauff, who blew past her 6-1, 6-1—marking Świątek’s third consecutive loss to the American tennis star.
Roddick addressed the defeat in a recent episode of his podcast ‘Served with Andy Roddick,’ where he didn’t shy away from pointing out the cracks in Świątek’s form. He also added that while he tries not to overreact to single matches, Świątek’s slump in 2025 makes the result more troubling.
“If you put Iga against Sabalenka right now, I think I try not to be a victim of the moment on this show, but and I’m not the one who’s going to get hyperbolic about Iga on clay too quickly,” he said.
“One loss against someone who you’ve dominated that rivalry up until the last three or four matches is cause for concern. There’s no chance she walks off that court and is like, “Oh, yeah. I’m fulfilled. My cup is full of confidence,”” he added.
Roddick praised Gauff’s performance as a legitimate “statement win,” especially given that Świątek still owns the clay and had led their rivalry 11-1 before losing their last three matchups.
“Great week for Coco, I mean you beat the person who’s been your toughest matchup on their surface. I don’t care how Iga is playing, she’s still one of the best players in the world on any surface. And Coco made a statement, and I think statement win gets thrown around too often, but I was stunned by that score line,” Roddick continued.
For Gauff, the 21-year-old American entered Madrid as the fourth seed and defeated a string of tough opponents including Mirra Andreeva and Belinda Bencic before overpowering Świątek in the semifinal. However, she eventually fell to top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Coco Gauff Discussed Defeating Iga Świątek in Madrid Open SF
Following her win, Coco Gauff shared in her on-court interview that her game plan was to maintain an aggressive approach from start to finish, giving Świątek few opportunities to respond. She also noted how satisfied she was with her performance and the quality of tennis she delivered.
“I don’t know. I think just the mentality that I had for the whole match. I think I was aggressive and played with margin. Maybe it wasn’t her best level today, but I think I kinda forced her into some awkward positions. I am really happy with how I played today,” Coco Gauff said.
“Super important. Especially playing someone like Iga, you know, at any moment she can come back and play great tennis. So, for me was just making sure my level stayed the same. Actually, I was trying to raise it. I knew that in the second set I had to raise it, especially because she could come back, so yeah, I am really happy with how I played,” she added.
