Andy Roddick Reacts to Iga Swiatek’s US Open Shock Defeat
Andy Roddick Reacts to Iga Swiatek’s US Open Defeat
Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick has offered a blunt assessment of Iga Swiatek’s shock fourth-round defeat to Qinwen Zheng at the 2026 US Open, suggesting that the Polish star’s problems were not simply related to her tennis.
Swiatek appeared firmly in control after racing into a 5-0 lead in the opening set at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Zheng, however, produced a remarkable turnaround, winning seven consecutive games to take the set 7-5 before completing a 7-5, 6-3 victory.
The defeat ended Swiatek’s US Open campaign in the fourth round, while Zheng advanced to the quarter-finals after another extraordinary comeback.
Andy Roddick Questions What Happened to Swiatek
Speaking about the result, Roddick suggested that Swiatek’s collapse could not simply be explained by poor form on the court.
“She’s been playing well for five weeks now,” Roddick said, arguing that something beyond her tennis may have contributed to the unexpected loss. He also pointed to the fact that Swiatek had been showing encouraging form in the weeks leading into the US Open.
Roddick also described Swiatek as a six-time Grand Slam champion and a dominant force who has finished multiple seasons as world No. 1. In his view, the defeat could prompt the Polish star and her team to examine what went wrong beyond the immediate technical aspects of the match.
Zheng Qinwen Completes Another Stunning Comeback
While Roddick questioned Swiatek’s performance, Zheng’s achievement remains one of the biggest stories of the tournament.
The Chinese star was facing a seemingly impossible situation after falling 0-5 behind in the first set. Instead of allowing the deficit to dictate the match, Zheng gradually took control of the rallies and put increasing pressure on Swiatek.
The comeback was particularly remarkable because Zheng had produced an almost identical turnaround in her previous round against Madison Keys. She had also recovered from 0-5 in the deciding set against the American before winning seven games in a row.
Against Swiatek, Zheng again showed impressive composure at the most important moments and secured only her second career victory over the six-time Grand Slam champion. Swiatek had previously led their head-to-head record 7-1.
Andy Roddick Reacts to Zheng’s US Open Comeback
Roddick did not dismiss Zheng’s performance. Instead, he praised the significance of her return to the biggest stage after a difficult period in her career.
The former American star highlighted the joy Zheng displayed after qualifying for the main draw and then continuing her run deep into the tournament.
Zheng had been forced to fight through qualifying after dropping sharply in the rankings following an elbow injury and surgery. Her run in New York has therefore represented a major turnaround in both her results and confidence.
Zheng’s Remarkable Road Back
Zheng entered the US Open after a challenging period that included elbow surgery and a significant ranking decline. She had fallen as low as No. 121 in the rankings before beginning her campaign in qualifying.
Her performances in New York have changed the narrative dramatically.
After surviving qualifying, Zheng defeated Madison Keys before producing another comeback against Swiatek. Reuters reported that Zheng credited a focused training block before the US Open with helping her rediscover her physical and mental strength.
Her latest victory has now placed her in the quarter-finals, where she faces second seed Elena Rybakina.
Swiatek Left to Reflect After Another Difficult Season
For Swiatek, the defeat adds another disappointing chapter to a difficult 2026 campaign.
The Polish star had entered the season as one of the dominant players in women’s tennis, but her results have been less consistent than in previous years. Even so, she had shown signs of improvement heading into the US Open and battled through a difficult third-round match against Marie Bouzkova.
That makes her sudden collapse against Zheng even more difficult to explain.
Roddick’s comments suggest that Swiatek and her team may need to look beyond individual shots or tactics when assessing the defeat. For a player with six Grand Slam titles and multiple year-end No. 1 finishes, the challenge now is to understand why promising form disappeared so dramatically when she held such a commanding advantage.
What Comes Next for Zheng?
Zheng’s reward for eliminating Swiatek is a quarter-final meeting with Rybakina, who reached the last eight after defeating Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4.
The Kazakh second seed entered the quarter-final without dropping a set and is also chasing the world No. 1 ranking.
For Zheng, the match represents another major test. She has already overturned two 0-5 deficits against former Grand Slam champions during this tournament. Her ability to maintain that level against Rybakina will determine whether her remarkable comeback story can continue into the final stages of the US Open.
For now, however, Zheng has already delivered one of the tournament’s biggest shocks — and Andy Roddick’s reaction has added another layer to the conversation surrounding Swiatek’s unexpected exit.
