Wimbledon Women's Draw Breakdown: Andy Roddick predicts an American upsetting Swiatek in semis and an early exit for Jabeur
WTA
Andy Roddick predicted the
Wimbledon women's draw without major surprises in the early rounds, although
with an unprecedented finalist and some upsets in the quarterfinals. The former
world No. 1 recognized Swiatek as the favorite on paper, though he believes
SW19 is the ideal stage for other players to give her an upset.
The first seed Iga Swiatek
is the main favorite for the title as the first seed, following a spectacular
clay streak with 19 consecutive wins and 5 titles this season (45-4 record).
However, Swiatek has not shown the same dominance in her previous participations
at SW19. Roddick argued that Swiatek's game is naturally suited for clay and
that she needs to make several adjustments to compete on grass, such as her
forehand shots and the way she moves, as well as her second serves.
"You combine Iga’s
style and then you bring in the other players who… there are six or seven here
in the top-15 that you could argue grass is their best surface. So those
factors combined are why we talk about Iga like we do at these tournaments, not
as if we’ve forgotten she’s great, we haven’t."
Top Half – First Quarter
Swiatek's debut will be
against the 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin, who a year ago already
caused a big upset by defeating Coco Gauff in the first round at Wimbledon and
is one of the most dangerous unseeded players. Nonetheless, Roddick expects the
Pole to manage to advance to the second week, leaving behind Kenin, Petra
Martic, and Katerina Siniakova according to his prediction.
In the fourth round, she
could face the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who would need to
overcome Alja Tomljanovic, Oceane Dodin, and Anastasia Potapova on the way to
the fourth round, where Roddick predicts the Pole would secure the victory
leading her to the quarterfinals.
The American believes that
in the same section of the draw, the favorites Danielle Collins (11th seed) and
Marketa Vondrousova (7th seed) will advance to a fourth-round duel, where the
defending champion will defeat Collins and secure a quarterfinal clash against
world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.
Vondrousova is the defending champion in Wimbledon.
Top Half – Second Quarter
The second quarter is led by
world No. 4 Elena Rybakina, who should also advance to the quarterfinals
according to Roddick. On the way, she would leave behind players like Laura
Siegemund and Leylah Fernandez, while Roddick expects a fourth-round matchup
against Anna Kalinskaya: "It’s just so hard, Rybakina… you don’t know what
you’re going to get but you can’t bet against her on this surface."
Further down the draw,
Roddick predicted a third-round duel between Ons Jabeur and Elina Svitolina,
where the Ukrainian would claim victory, eliminating the 2-time runner-up in
the first week. However, Roddick predicted that Svitolina's journey would end
in the fourth round against Jessica Pegula: "I'm taking Pegula to the
quarters, and maybe that’s my heart, but I just… I mean tons of it, is just
Pegula is five in the world and is really good on grass."
Bottom Half – Third Quarter
Roddick also stated that he
has high expectations for the 8th seed Zheng Qinwen, who he sees reaching an
eventual fourth round against Ekaterina Alexandrova. The Russian will have a
tough draw, and according to Roddick's prediction, she will leave behind Emma
Raducanu, Elise Mertens, and Maria Sakkari to reach the second week, where the
Chinese Zheng would advance to the quarterfinals for the third time in her
career.
In the same quarter, world
No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka is Roddick's favorite to reach the quarterfinals,
emerging from a challenging position in the draw with rivals like Dayana
Yastremska and Daria Kasatkina along the way.
Zheng was runner-up at her first Grand Slam final in 2024 Australian Open.
Bottom Half – Fourth Quarter
Roddick expects one of the
tournament's big surprises to be the 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu,
who would have to eliminate players like Linda Noskova and recent French Open
runner-up Jasmine Paolini to ensure her place in the tournament's second week.
In the fourth round, her
potential rival would be the American Madison Keys, a 2023 semifinalist, but
who Roddick predicts will not be able to repeat last year's feat and will fall
to Andreescu in the fourth round: “I want to pencil her (Madison Keys) in
potentially to the quarters, I just don’t know if her body can take that many
matches,” he said before putting Andreescu in the quarterfinals.
Another former Grand Slam
champion who Roddick predicts will have a good run is Japan’s Naomi Osaka,
overcoming players like Emma Navarro and Victoria Azarenka before meeting world
No. 2 Coco Gauff in the fourth round. However, the 2001 US Open champion predicts
Gauff will secure the victory and ensure her passage to the quarterfinals.
Projected quarterfinals according to Roddick
Andy Roddick expects fewer
surprises on the women's side than on the men's, with the presence of 7 of the
top-8 seeds in the tournament's quarterfinals. Here the surprises in the
predictions begin, as Roddick predicted that Pegula would defeat Rybakina and
Swiatek before reaching the final.
On the other hand, Gauff
would eliminate Andreescu, while Sabalenka would again end Zheng's streak in a
Grand Slam after defeating her in the Australian Open final and in the past US
Open quarterfinals. The Belarusian would then successively defeat Americans
Gauff and Pegula before claiming the Wimbledon title, her third Grand Slam.
Pegula at 2023 Wimbledon.
Quarterfinals:
- Swiatek def. Vondrousova
- Pegula def. Rybakina
- Sabalenka def. Zheng
- Gauff def. Andreescu
Semifinals:
- Pegula def. Swiatek
- Sabalenka def. Gauff
Final:
- Sabalenka def. Pegula
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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