Andy Roddick questions if Iga Swiatek can reassert her dominance on clay swing amid trophy drought
Iga Swiatek last lifted a title at the 2024 French Open and hasn't yet progressed to a tour-level singles final this season.
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Iga Swiatek, Andy Roddick (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, ESPN)
The ongoing Charleston Open marked the first clay-court tournament on the WTA Tour. Iga Swiatek is not playing and announced on social media that she withdrew from the Billie Jean King Cup qualifying tournament against Switzerland and Ukraine in Radom, Poland.
Swiatek is gearing up for the Stuttgart Open, which is scheduled to start on April 12. Though last year in Stuttgart Swiatek fell in the semifinal to eventual winner Elena Rybakina, she went on to take home three consecutive titles, in Madrid, Rome, and Paris.
Andy Roddick, while analyzing Swiatek’s trophy-less start to the season, questioned if she can still reassert dominance on the red dirt. He also warned the players to not write off the four-time French Open champion on clay.
Iga’s so good, she loses sometimes, that’s the criticism. ‘Oh, she loses in the semis sometimes.’ She’s won five Majors, she’s going to be the favorite. For the last five years, we would’ve taken Iga against the field at Roland Garros; that’s how dominant she’s been on clay.
Andy Roddick said on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast
In the two Sunshine Double tournament, Swiatek was defeated by two teenagers. She failed to defend the Indian Wells title after losing to eventual winner Mirra Andreeva in the semifinals. In the Miami Open, Alexandra Eala knocked her out in the quarterfinals.
I think that’s when I would question a lot of it, we try to navigate this question every year, it’s different if she wins in Miami, obviously, but do we change the entire clay court conversation moving in because of Eala beating her?
Andy Roddick added
Tennis journalist, Jon Wertheim, the co-host of the podcast, is convinced that the chances of Swiatek winning the French Open are less this year because of the emotional turmoil she has been going through due to the doping case. Swiatek had last year tested positive for trimetazidine and lost her No.1 ranking because of missing mandatory tournaments due to her provisional suspension. After sparking controversy due to her conduct during the Indian Wells semifinal, Swiatek admitted that losing her ranking “deeply upset her“.
Andrea Petkovic claims Iga Swiatek’s defeat to Madison Keys shook her confidence
Iga Swiatek wanted to move on from the doping scandal and eyed her first Major title Down Under. The five-time Grand Slam champion produced a dominating performance, registering three bagels against three opponents.
But in the semifinal, she failed to eke out a win against eventual winner Madison Keys. Former player Andrea Petkovic claimed that the defeat to Keys cost Swiatek some confidence.
I think the match against Keys really shook her confidence. I was trying to think back. And the whole Australian Open, I kept saying this is the time for Iga, I think she will win and get to the final because I saw all the improvements and how well she was playing.
Andrea Petkovic said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast
After the Australian Open, Swiatek was defeated in the semifinals and quarterfinals in Doha and Dubai, respectively. She is 21-6 this season.
Iga Swiatek has won two titles at the Stuttgart Open
Iga Swiatek hasn’t yet lifted a title since winning last year’s French Open. And as the tennis world’s attention has shifted toward the European clay swing, Swiatek too will be hoping to end her trophy drought in one of the tournaments on the red dirt.
Last year on the clay swing, the 23-year-old beat Aryna Sabalenka in both the Madrid Open and the Italian Open finals, before breezing past Jasmine Paolini to lift her third consecutive clay-court Major title. Swiatek has won 10 titles on the clay, including two at the Stuttgart Open in 2022 and 2023.
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