"Feels like Rafael Nadal thing": Andy Roddick on Iga Swiatek's continued dominance on 'slow surface like Roland Garros' despite wavering form

Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick believes Iga Swiatek can excel on slow surfaces, especially the one at the French Open, just like Rafael Nadal did.

In his 18 campaigns at the French Open over a career spanning more than 23 years, Nadal has lost to only two distinct players: Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling. In total, he has played 115 matches at the claycourt Major and won 112 accounting for 14 triumphs.

Nadal's numbers are unlikely to be matched by any other tennis player in the future. However, current women's World No. 1 Iga Swiatek can enjoy similar success on clay, according to Roddick.

Swiatek is only 22 years old and has already triumphed at the French Open thrice, in 2020, 2022, and 2023, out of her five appearances. She first participated in Roland Garros in 2019 and reached as far as the fourth round. Her 2021 campaign in Paris ended in the quarterfinals.

The Pole didn't start the 2024 season well as she failed to impress at the Australian Open for the sixth year in a row and bowed out in the third round. This was notably her third consecutive subpar run at the Grand Slams as she had lost in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the fourth round of the US Open in 2023.

The four-time Grand Slam champion has, however, returned to winning ways with triumphs in Doha and Indian Wells this year. She has gained Andy Roddick's confidence with her exploits as the latter has claimed that it would be her against the entire WTA roster at the upcoming French Open.

"She [Iga Swiatek] can struggle, she's not played great in four out of the last five Slams... it feels like the Rafa [Nadal] thing where even if she struggles at Majors, on a slow surface like Indian Wells, on a slow surface like Roland Garros, she's gonna continue to win. You feel like it’s her versus the field at worse at Roland Garros," Roddick said in a recent episode of the Served with Andy Roddick Podcast at [5:52].

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Iga Swiatek can join Steffi Graf, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer on the list of players with more than one Sunshine Double

Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek has the opportunity to join the likes of Steffi Graf, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer on the list of players who have claimed the Sunshine Double more than once.

For starters, the Sunshine Double is an accomplishment of winning the Indian Wells and Miami Open in the same calendar year. Djokovic leads the entire pack after having done it four times (in 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2016).

The Serb is followed by Federer who has triumphed at Indian Wells and Miami three times in the same calendar year (2005, 2006, and 2017). Graf has done it twice in 1994 and 1996.

Iga Swiatek scored the feat in 2022 and with this year's Indian Wells trophy already in her bag, she will eye another one during her Miami Open 2024 campaign beginning on Friday, March 22. She is set to take on Camila Giorgi in the second round.