"Starting to get little spoiled": Andy Roddick assesses Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek's upcoming Italian Open final; says Belarusian's "playing better"

Andy Roddick recently assessed the upcoming Italian Open women's singles final between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. The final in Rome will mark the second WTA 1000 event in a row where the two highest-ranked women's tennis players in the world will lock horns.

World No. 2 Sabalenka and World No. 1 Swiatek's last meeting in the final of the 2024 Madrid Open was a thriller. Both players produced pulsating displays of tennis before the Pole eventually emerged triumphant after over three hours.

Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick expressed his delight as a fan of the sport due to the ever-intensifying rivalry between Sabalenka and Swiatek. The 2003 US Open champion also revisited the pair's Madrid Open final "showdown" briefly.

"We are starting to get a little spoiled in the best possible way by this matchup. They had a run of matches last year on clay. I think Stuttgart, Madrid we've already had (this year). The Madrid showdown.. there was nothing between them in that match. I know Iga won, but I thought that's where Sabalenka really showed her best tennis of that week by far and she's continued it," Roddick told Tennis Channel (0:09).

However, Roddick went on to say that as far as Sabalenka and Swiatek's respective forms in Rome go, it's the Belarusian who has done better going into the final.

"There's no questions about Iga's form on clay right now, but I think Sabalenka is playing better in the lead up. Now, we'll never know how the match is going to go on a given day, but I think Sabalenka's form, she's a lot more confident going into this one than Madrid," Roddick added.

Andy Roddick recently opined that Aryna Sabalenka's temperamental nature comes at a cost to her reputation

Aryna Sabalenka at the 2023 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart 2023

During a recent episode of the Served With Andy Roddick podcast, the American hailed Aryna Sabalenka's evolution, which has seen the Belarusian transform into one of the best competitors in women's tennis.

However, Roddick said that despite Sabalenka's transformation, she does not get the credit she deserves because she frequently loses her composure on the court.

"Sabalenka is now a great competitor, and she doesn't get enough credit for it because she loses her s**t. You can simultaneously lose your s**t and be a great competitor," Roddick said.

The Italian Open final between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek will mark their 11th meeting. The Pole leads the pair's head-to-head 7-3, and their head-to-head in finals 3-1.