Roddick praises Swiatek's resilience during French Open second-round tie

Former world number one Andy Roddick has heaped praise on Poland’s tennis star Iga Swiatek for producing a remarkable comeback to win the second-round tie of the French Open. The second Grand Slam of the year is already underway, where players from all over the world are showcasing their talent and continuing their battle to secure the ultimate prize.

In what turned out to be the match of the tournament so far, world number one in the women’s singles category defeated the odds to finally get the better of Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the second-round tie with a score of 7-6, 1-6, 7-5. In the third set, Osaka was leading 3-0, then she was 30-0 when the score was 5-2 and had a match point when the score was 5-3.

In a video posted on the social media platform X — previously known as Twitter — Swiatek can be seen in tears in the locker room after going through a rollercoaster ride. Roddick reshared the video and praised the 22-year-old, who is, according to him, ‘a champion’. “Try to tell me Iga doesn’t care. This was a second round match at a tournament she’s already won three times. This is sports. You fight, you survive, and then you become human again. Rinse, repeat. This woman is a champion….. and human,” he wrote.