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Andy Roddick Slams Idea Iga Swiatek Could Have Eased up on Amanda Anisimova

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Binoy | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 1:14 PM ET

Iga Swiatek’s ruthless performance in the Wimbledon final left a lot of jaws on the floor and landed Amanda Anisimova on the wrong side of the history books. Getting double-bageled in a Grand Slam final? That hasn’t happened at Wimbledon in over a century.

Naturally, some people started whispering that maybe, just maybe, Swiatek could’ve shown a bit of mercy out there. But Andy Roddick? He’s having none of it. The former champ wasted no time shutting down that idea, making it clear exactly where he stands on easing up when the stakes are that high.

In a recent episode posted on his YouTube show, "Quick Served," Roddick’s co-host, Jon Wertheim, floated the idea that maybe Swiatek could have taken it easy on Anisimova once she realized how one-sided it was. Roddick quickly shut down the notion saying, “You beat someone as badly as you can. ... You can't give someone a game.”

Andy Roddick put it perfectly: This is sports, not charity. He compared it to your regular job: If you outcompete someone for a contract, you don’t turn around and hand them money just to make them feel better.

That’s not how the game works. He pointed out that Swiatek was lights out with her serve all tournament, and while Anisimova usually serves well too, she just couldn’t find it that day.

So when you’re up 5-0 in a Slam final, you don’t start handing out games for sympathy. You slam the door shut, protect every point and finish the job. That is exactly what Swiatek did and in the process claimed her first Wimbledon title.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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