Andy Roddick says ‘phenomenal’ Iga Swiatek does something better than any male tennis player right now

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Iga Swiatek was given the highest form of praise by Andy Roddick who put her in a category with ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal.

The 22-year-old continues to establish herself as the undisputed ‘Queen of Clay’ following victory at the Italian Open for the third time in four years.

She is on a 12-match win streak heading into the French Open where she aims to claim her fourth championship and third in a row.

The Pole has wowed thousands of tennis fans around the world with her brilliance on the clay, a surface which has bamboozled several of the sport’s greatest players.

Andy Roddick delivers glowing assessment of Iga Swiatek

One of those left in awe with Swiatek’s excellent performances on the dirt is Roddick.

The American, whose most challenging surface as a player was clay, experienced the mastery of Rafael Nadal on the slow and high-bouncing surface. 

Having watched and played against the Spaniard and now seeing what Swiatek is producing on the clay, Roddick gave the four-time Grand Slam champion a very high form of praise.

“Iga has this ‘Rafian’ ability to slide hit and then like in one motion, be a foot back towards the middle,” the former World Number One told The Tennis Channel via Eurosport.

“I think she has the best footwork that I’ve seen on the men’s and women’s side, this side of Rafa. It’s just phenomenal and Iga just has to be able to switch directions.”

How did Iga Swiatek win the Italian Open?

Swiatek made short work of her opponents at the 2024 Italian Open, where she did not drop a set. She began her campaign with comfortable wins over Bernarda Pera and Yulia Putintseva.

Swiatek then took out former World Number One Angelique Kerber before facing the hard-hitting and in-form Madison Keys and US Open champion Coco Gauff in the quarter and semifinals respectively.

She dispatched the American duo to set up another final showdown with Aryna Sabalenka, but there was no repeat of the tight tussle in Madrid as the Pole claimed an emphatic 6-2, 6-3 win.

Her Rome triumph marked the tenth WTA 1000 title of her career. At just 22 years of age, she is now the youngest player to achieve this feat since the format began in 2009.