'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Iga Swiatek was crowned the Wimbledon Champion after she double bageled her opponent Amanda Anisimova on Saturday, July 12. When asked on his podcast if the World No. 4 should have conceded a game considering it was a Wimbledon final, Andy Roddick completely rejected the idea as "absurd".
Swiatek became the first Pole man or woman to lift the coveted Wimbledon trophy. She also joined Steffi Graf as the only other player to win a major final without losing a game. Graf defeated Natasha Zvereva in the 1988 French Open with the same scoreline.
Trending
In Andy Roddick's podcast 'Served' journalist Jon Wertheim asked the 2003 US Open champion if Swiatek should have conceded a game in the final. Roddick responded:
“No! It’s sports! You beat someone as badly as you can beat them! You cannot give someone a game!" [9:37 onwards].
Roddick gave an example from the business world to explain how the idea went against a winning mindset.
"Imagine you being at your job, you outcompete someone for a contract, or you win business from someone, and then whoever you are bidding against goes I don’t know, let’s just give them some money for their efforts."
He highlighted the "absurdity" of the idea and added:
"That would be an absurd thing to propose to someone."
Swiatek is now the only active player on the WTA tour to win a Grand Slam on all three different surfaces.
Amanda Anisimova all-praise for Iga Swiatek despite crushing Wimbledon loss
In his autobiography 'Open', 8-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi beautifully described the game of tennis as an abstract of life.
"It's no accident, I think, that tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love, the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature," he wrote in his book published in 2009.
The 2025 Wimbledon final seemed to encapsulate these sentiments for Amanda Anisimova who showered praises on champion Iga Swiatek despite being on the receiving end of a merciless 6-0, 6-0 scoreline.
Anisimova was ranked No. 22 in 2022 when she decided to take break as she felt burnt-out from the demands of professional tennis. She was back in 2024 with stellar performances, climbing steadily from World No. 359 to opening the 2025 season as World No. 36. She reached her first Grand Slam final at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships where she held the runner-up plate.
Gracious in the face of crushing defeat, Anisimova turned the attention to Swiatek during her speech at the Wimbledon presentation ceremony.
“You [Iga Swiatek] are such an incredible player. It obviously showed today. You’ve been such an inspiration to me. An unbelievable athlete. You’ve had such an incredible 2 weeks here. Getting to the final of your first Wimbledon and winning the championship, it’s so special. Congratulations to you and your team,” she said.
Amanda Anisimova is currently at her career-high ranking of World No. 12 and will continue her quest for a maiden Grand Slam title.
