Iga Świątek’s Italian Open campaign did not conclude with her lifting the trophy, but the three-time champion is carrying with her some much-needed confidence as she reaches Paris for the French Open. The Pole has already kicked off her training at Stade Roland-Garros, where she is bidding for a fifth title.
Questions have been raised about Świątek’s performances in recent times. She has not won a title since the Korea Open in September last year, and her clay season hasn’t yielded the expected outcomes so far, either. But Andy Roddick has cautioned the tennis community about her French Open bid.
Iga Świątek’s Unmissable French Open Presence Draws Attention
Over the years, we’ve seen Świątek as an unbeatable force, often terrorizing her opponents without mercy. The story has been rather different of late. As a 24-year-old who has already established her name in the upper echelon of tennis players, she now faces the challenge of managing personal and outside expectations while earning the desired results.
Given her resume so far, there’s hardly a doubt about Świątek successfully navigating her path to return to winning ways. And Andy Roddick believes she should certainly not be written off at the upcoming French Open.
“I’m telling you right now, everyone’s going to be down on Iga. She’s on the shortlist to win this tournament. I’m just telling you she’s on the shortlist,” the former World No. 1 said on the recent Served with Andy Roddick podcast episode.
Świątek hired a new coach, Francisco Roig, ahead of the clay season. Before resuming action, she trained under the watchful eyes of her idol, Rafael Nadal, Roig’s longtime mentee. At their first tournament together, the WTA 500 event in Stuttgart, Świątek reached the quarterfinals. She suffered a blow at the Madrid Open after falling ill but made a promising comeback in Rome.
The Pole made her first semifinal of the season by beating the likes of Elisabetta Cocciaretto (6-1, 6-0), Naomi Osaka (6-2, 6-1), and Jessica Pegula (6-1, 6-2). Although she lost in three sets to eventual champion Elina Svitolina, Roddick believes the run was a significant step forward for Świątek.
“She switches her thing; she makes the semi. She played great. Svitolina played a great match to beat her,” he said.
“Now is she Iga, where it’s her versus the field? No. Is she Iga, where she’s clear-cut one or two in the world? No. Can she win this tournament (the French Open)? Absolutely,” the American added.
Iga Świątek has competed in Paris seven times so far in her career, winning the title on four occasions. She is looking to end her title drought on clay, having not won a title on the surface since the 2024 French Open. Roddick has indicated that Świątek’s deep Italian Open run shouldn’t be ignored, as it is likely to prove integral ahead of the upcoming Grand Slam.
“Just tread carefully if you’re giving up on her. I think this run to the semis and getting those matches in… as important to her as maybe any player in the field. I don’t think Sabalenka, or Rybakina, or Pegula had to make semis to feel real good about the way that they’re playing. Andreeva included in that list. I think that was really important for Iga. She’s in this thing,” he said.
Despite losing the semifinal to Svitolina, Świątek remained upbeat as she left Rome, assuring that she enjoyed competing at the tournament. She also noted that her “game is stepping up with all the work we’ve put in lately.” It remains to be seen whether the Pole overcomes her challenges to lift Coupe Suzanne Lenglen again.
