Andy Roddick on Iga Swiatek: ”With Big-3 and Serena Williams retiring, this storyline is getting lost a bit”

Andy Roddick believes Iga Swiatek's achievements have been overshadowed by Serena Williams' retirement and the extra focus on men's tennis' Big-3 of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic.

Swiatek is a four-time Grand Slam champion, having won the French Open thrice (2020, 2022, and 2023) and the US Open once (2022). She has won a total of 14 WTA Tour-level titles and has been the WTA World No. 1 since Ashleigh Barty retired from the sport early last year.

In 2022, Swiatek went on a 37-match unbeaten streak, the longest on the WTA Tour in the 21st century. Following Barty and Williams' retirement, she has emerged as arguably the best player on the women's tour.

Former ATP World No. 1 Roddick stated that while the Pole has been phenomenal so far, she has been drowned out by other things in the tennis world.

“She's phenomenal, won four Slams now. Kind of in the tornado of the Big-3 and Serena [Williams] retiring, this storyline is getting lost a little bit. She is you know three-time Roland Garros winner, won one US Open last year. Just history being made all the time,” he said (via MSNBC).

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Boris Becker backs Iga Swiatek to win “10 or 15 Grand Slam titles” in her career

Iga Swiatek won her fourth Grand Slam title at the 2023 French Open.

Besides Andy Roddick, Boris Becker, another former ATP World No. 1, also praised Iga Swiatek for her success. He even backed her to win double-digit Grand Slam titles in her career.

Swiatek has won four Majors along with titles in Doha, Stuttgart, Indian Wells, Miami, Rome, San Diego, and Adelaide. She has also finished as runner-up four times so far in Lugano (2019), Ostrava (2021), Madrid (2023), and Dubai (2023).

1992 Olympic gold medalist Becker believes that if Swiatek remains motivated, she can win many more Slams in her career.

“She is only 22 years old, and she still has her whole athletic life ahead of her. So I see no reason why she can't win 10 or 15 Grand Slam titles if she stays motivated,” he said.

“That's always the big question, especially when you have success at such a young age. Do you still feel like repeating yourself in five years or do you have to keep reinventing yourself?” he added.

“But from the way she plays, her attitude, her fitness, I don't see any reason why she shouldn't reach double-digit Grand Slam wins.”