‘You Could See Stages of Panic’ — Andy Roddick Reveals What He Noticed in Amanda Anisimova, Iga Świątek Wimbledon Final
Amanda Anisimova walked onto Centre Court at Wimbledon with everything to gain and nothing to lose. She’d never been in a Grand Slam final before, never faced Iga Świątek on tour, and had just knocked out the top seed to get there.
What happened next lasted just 57 minutes but left a lasting impression on former US Open champion Andy Roddick.
What Did Andy Roddick Say About Amanda Anisimova’s Wimbledon Final Performance?
During the latest episode of the “Served with Andy Roddick” podcast, Roddick put Anisimova’s performance in perspective. He emphasized that reaching the final of a Grand Slam tournament is a remarkable achievement in itself, calling it a “successful” tournament for both Anisimova and Świątek.
However, Roddick didn’t sugarcoat what happened on the court. He acknowledged that Anisimova had a “tough day” in the final, noting that a 6-0, 6-0 loss is never easy to endure.
“It was a tough day for Anisimova. First, let’s point out that there are exactly two people on planet Earth who made the finals of the women’s event at Wimbledon. So, a successful tournament. She would have taken a final. Obviously, 0 and 0 are not what you want to happen,” Roddick said.
The former US Open champion observed that as the match progressed, Anisimova showed signs of “panic,” particularly as Świątek executed her shots and strategies with precision.
“You could see the various stages of panic, right? Iga comes out, and she comes out hot. She comes out, and the strategy is on point. Anisimova is not hitting two shots from the same position. She is running into every ball she is hitting. The shot tolerance from Iga, and Iga executed perfectly, and Anisimova looked like she was a little bit uncomfortable,” he continued.
How Did the Scoreboard Affect Anisimova’s Mental Game?
Roddick’s analysis went deeper than just the tennis. He pointed out that after losing the first set 6-0, Anisimova’s anxiety about the scoreboard began to affect her performance in a way that changed the entire dynamic of the match.
“Iga, we talked about her being a great front runner. Chips get down, and then it gets to 6-0, and then it gets to 1-0, and then all of a sudden you’re not nervous because you’re in a Wimbledon final. You’re not nervous because of what Iga is doing and how she’s executing. You’re now nervous about the scoreboard,” the former US Open champion said.
This shift in focus proved devastating for the American. Roddick remarked that once the 23-year-old started to play against the scoreboard, her game went away from her completely.
“And you could see 2-0, 3-0, you start playing against the scoreboard, where I can only assume that at 6-0, 3-0, 4-0, Anisamova is thinking 0% about how to win Wimbledon. And it’s, ‘Gosh, please don’t let me get beat 0 and 0 here,’ which is a horrible place to be as a pro tennis player,” Roddick added.
Looking ahead, Anisimova is expected to begin her hard-court season at the 2025 Washington Open, which is scheduled to take place from July 21 to July 27. The matches will be held at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Washington, D.C.
Last year, at the WTA 500 hard-court tournament, Anisimova secured her spot in the main draw by defeating Emina Bektas and Renata Zarazúa in the qualifiers. She then won her first two matches against Sloane Stephens and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before being eliminated by Caroline Dolehide in the quarterfinals.
