In a surprising turn of events, Andy Roddick is ready to bet on his favorite player to win the upcoming Roland Garros Tournament. And it is none other than the Stuttgart Open champion, Elena Rybakina. Although taking her name over Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, both of whom have a current WTA ranking higher than hers, have raised eyebrows in the tennis world. However, Roddick provided his explanation to justify the statement in his recent podcast.

“I think I’d take Rybakina only because she doesn’t dislike the matchup against Iga as much as everyone else,” Andy Roddick commented about the current World No. 4. He refers to Rybakina’s recent wins over Swiatek, which have drawn excitement from tennis fans all around the world. Rybakina played against the World No. 1 in the 2023 Rome Quarterfinals. In that match, she lost the opening set but got back up to win the second set in a tie-break. However, Swiatek was forced to withdraw due to an injury. This led to a sudden twist, and Rybakina gained her victory in the match. However, their rivalry did not end there.

Rybakina demonstrated her power once more in the Stuttgart Semifinal of 2024, where they again faced each other. She defeated Swiatek in an exciting match, winning with a score of 6-3, 4-6, and 6-3. This victory not only proved Rybakina’s exceptional talent on the court but also put an end to a 10-match winning streak for Swiatek in that event.

And referring to all these intense matches between the two, Andy Roddick made up his mind. “She played well against her Rome last year, beat her a couple of weeks ago in Stuttgart. I think I take Rybakina just based on recent form and that specific matchup with Iga.”

But Andy Roddick, who has frequently praised Gauff for her incredible skills and her persona off the court, kept her off his potential winners’ list for Roland Garros. However, when Coco Gauff faced Rybakina in the Dubai Tennis Championships in 2023, she emerged victorious. Therefore, Roddick’s comments have further raised questions about the 20-year-old’s performance. However, Iga Swiatek’s semifinal defeat against Rybakina also sparked further interest in the tennis community.

“She just doesn’t lose on clay that often,” Andy Roddick says about Iga Swiatek

The 22-year-old Iga Swiatek has made her mark in the tennis world with four Grand Slams and holding the No. 1 WTA ranking for a total of 100 weeks. Apart from that, she has also shown her incredible prowess on clay courts by winning three times in the Roland Garros tournament.

And former World No. 1 Andy Roddick is full of praise for her. “I don’t want to read too much into one result in a waterfall of an entire season, but anyone beating Iga Swiatek on clay is a big deal because she just doesn’t lose on clay that often.” And to add to her amazing records of accomplishments, she holds a record of winning 25 of her previous 26 matches at Roland Garros as well.

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However, right now, Andy Roddick relies on Elena Rybakina to take the winner’s trophy. Only time will tell whether his predictions come true or not.