Could you ever have pictured a Grand Slam final so ruthless, so merciless, that it felt like a storm with no pause? That’s exactly what unfolded on Centre Court as Iga Swiatek demolished Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 to lift her maiden Wimbledon crown, becoming the first Polish player, male or female, to win singles at the Championships. With that, she joined Steffi Graf as the only woman in the Open Era to serve a double bagel in a Slam final. However, for Anisimova’s fans, including American legend Andy Roddick, it was painful. Asked if Iga should’ve let Amanda grab one game, his response? Raw. Honest. Unapologetic. Curious? You should be.
In the aftermath of one of the most lopsided Grand Slam finals in recent memory, former Wimbledon finalist and US Open champion Andy Roddick didn’t mince words. Speaking on his “Served” podcast, Roddick was asked if Iga Swiatek should have conceded a game to Amanda Anisimova out of courtesy. His response? Brutally honest.
“No! It’s sports! You beat someone as badly as you can beat them!” he snapped. “You cannot give someone a game!” Comparing it to a workplace scenario, he added, “Imagine you being at your job… and then whoever you are bidding against goes, I don’t know, let’s just give them some money for their efforts.” Absurd, as he called it.
Roddick wasn’t finished. He pointed out that Świątek’s performance, especially her serve, was clinical throughout the tournament, but Anisimova also typically serves well. Still, she couldn’t break through. “Iga’s second serve is attackable sometimes,” he explained, “so if you’re out on court going 5-0, give this game, she holds another one, and it’s 5-2. Well, 5-2… no! You are protecting against everything.” The notion of easing up, even slightly, was simply not part of the athlete’s contract with competition.
In his most fiery take, Roddick declared, “You will not daylight into that room, you stomp on someone’s throat because this is sport and we have all agreed to this contract. We have all known since we were eight or nine years old that the person across from us is going to stomp on our faces and bleed every last point.” He made it clear, there’s no sympathy in elite-level tennis.
Amanda Anisimova during the Ladies Singles Final Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Day 13, The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, UK – 12 Jul 2025London The All England Lawn Tennis and United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxGRExMLTxCYPxROUxBULxUAExKSAxCHNxDENxINDxITAxPORxESPxSWExTURxMEXxCOLxVENxPERxECUxBRAxARGxCHIxURUxPARxPANxONLY Copyright: xJavierxGarcia/Shutterstockx 15392293ay
He even pointed to Świątek’s idol, Rafael Nadal, to hammer the point home. “Look who Iga’s idol is! Rafa Nadal, do you think he ever took any points off? Absolutely not.” And if Anisimova sensed any mercy, it would have felt worse. “Most professional tennis matches, people do not take it easy on their opponents,” he said. “There is not an ounce of me as a former player that if I am going to run through the woodshed, I would be more upset if someone gave me a game and I could feel that thing.”
For Roddick, sport is about rawness, not restraint. “I deserve to get taken out to pasture on this one, I just do,” he continued. “That is just the way sport is. That is everything we have signed up for… That does not work that way. Just no. There is no space for this argument.” The brutality, he insisted, is the nature of competition, and that’s what Świątek delivered.
And when you look at the numbers, it’s clear why Roddick stood firm. Amanda Anisimova couldn’t find her rhythm in her first Grand Slam final. She tallied 28 unforced errors, landed only 45% of first serves, and won a mere 26% of those points. Świątek broke her six times without reply. Amanda Anisimova won just 24 points total, and not a single game.
In the face of such dominance, Amanda Anisimova later admitted that the ruthless standard set by players like Świątek, Alcaraz, and Sinner hit her hard. It’s the modern bar, relentless, precise, and unforgiving. And in this elite arena, sympathy isn’t part of the playbook.
Anisimova admits Alcaraz-Sinner standard stung after Wimbledon
From the very first point, Iga Swiatek made it clear she had no plans to ease into the moment. After grabbing an early 1-0 lead with a break of serve, she surged ahead with fierce intent. Racing to 40-0, Anisimova briefly interrupted the rhythm with a sharp winner, but Świątek shut the door without hesitation. Her next service game was a masterclass in efficiency. The Pole kept her foot on the gas, piling on pressure and jumping out to a 3-0 lead with a second break, as Anisimova desperately tried to settle into her first Grand Slam final.
Świątek showed no mercy. She pounced once more to secure a third break and stormed to a commanding 5-0 advantage. In just 25 minutes, she closed out the opening set with a love hold, Anisimova unable to win even a single game. 14 unforced errors fueled the Americans’ first-set collapse, while Świątek committed just two. It was another crushing 6-0, her second in a row after blanking Belinda Bencic in the semis.
The second set offered no reprieve. Świątek broke immediately and consolidated with a hold to go up 2-0. She tightened her grip further, breaking again to lead 3-0. Though Anisimova dug deep and saved two break points in that third game, Świątek seized the third opportunity with surgical precision, leaving no room for doubt. Every opportunity Anisimova hoped for vanished under Świątek’s relentless pace and poise.
With the match racing past her, Świątek delivered a third consecutive break to stretch her lead to 5-0. Centre Court watched in stunned silence as the inevitable unfolded. The Polish star finished the job with ease, closing the match in just 57 minutes, handing Anisimova a double bagel on the sport’s most iconic stage. It was ruthless. It was historic.
Still, amid the heartbreak, Anisimova found grace. And from loss comes clarity. Anisimova acknowledged what separates good players from great ones. “I feel like the last two weeks I’ve learned that you’re never gonna be perfect. Every match is different… and when I look at players like Jannik or Carlos, who I look up to a lot, they don’t make easy mistakes. They don’t give almost anything to their opponents.” The elite standard had hit her hard, but it also lit a new fire.
Many had hoped for a longer, more competitive finale. That didn’t materialize. But maybe redemption awaits on the men’s side, as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner prepare to clash again, this time at SW19.
A repeat of their fierce French Open final could be just what Wimbledon needs to close its 2025 chapter with fire.
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