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Iga Swiatek makes a bold Rafael Nadal claim as she compares her playing style with his

By Al Faqiih February 14, 2025

Iga Swiatek shared some huge praise for Rafael Nadal as she explains how their playing styles are similar.

The 23-year-old grew up idolizing the Spaniard and has named him as her biggest inspiration within the sport and her favourite player.

It is clear to see how the 22-time Grand Slam champion has influenced her game given Iga Swiatek’s levels of intensity and heavy groundstrokes.

But the World number two has now provided some insight into how she believes her game mirrors that of the 14-time French Open champion.

How did Iga Swiatek compare her game to Rafael Nadal’s?

Rafael Nadal developed a reputation for using high amounts of topspin with acute angels to drag his opponents out of position and wear them down.

Swiatek also implements topspin into her game and in addition to using her excellent footwork to move up the court quickly and take control of the rallies, hallmarks of Nadal’s game.

Swiatek has been compared to Nadal in terms of their dominance at Roland Garros, where they hold a combined 18 titles.

But during an interview with The Athletic, The Pole explained how they are similar from the perspective on how they played the game.

“It’s just physics. On clay, it’s going to be a bit easier because my topspin will jump higher and my movements will be maybe better than what other girls can bring with the sliding and changing direction,” Swiatek said.

“But on hard courts, I feel like I’m a good player as well. It was the same with Rafa.”

Iga Swiatek makes a bold Rafael Nadal claim

Early in his career Nadal’s detractors did not believe he could achieve plenty of success away from clay courts.

But the 38-year-old proved his doubters wrong by succeeding on every surface, winning multiple titles on grass and hard courts, inducing the Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the US Open.

After showing he could adapt to all surfaces throughout his career, Swiatek called Nadal the greatest of all time on all surfaces.

“Everybody always talked about clay, but like he’s the GOAT (greatest of all time) basically on every surface,” she added. “Also winning Wimbledon twice. Not every player can have these results on even one surface.

“This is something that people are focusing on, and I am talking about this as well, because clay is where I have the most fun, but I love hard courts as well.

“And I feel like I have my weapons and I can use them. I want to be an all surface player for sure.”

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Iga Swiatek avoids Doha upset bug with Noskova comeback

By Al Faqiih February 13, 2025

“I know how tennis works,” Iga Swiatek said earlier this week. “It doesn’t always depend on you if you win titles or not.”

“You just have to put hundred percent effort and commitment and you’ll get your chances.”

The second seed proved herself right in her 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-4 win over Linda Noskova on Wednesday. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that Swiatek and Noskova combined to prove her right.

Noskova, a 20-year-old Czech ranked 33rd, may be best known for how well she matches up with Swiatek. She beat her at the Australian Open last January, and lost two close three-setters to her later in the year. Noskova has an excellent serve, which partially negates one of Swiatek’s primary weapons, her return. And she’s one of the few players who can stand toe-to-toe with Iga from the baseline and beat her with pace.

All of that was in evidence again on Wednesday. Noskova fired 16 aces. She held her own in rallies, exasperated Swiatek with her surprise ground stroke bombs from behind the baseline, and forced Iga to speed up her long forehand swing and make errors. Noskova rolled through the first set tiebreaker 7-1, held serve to start the second set, and went up 0-30 on Swiatek’s serve in the next game.

But just when Swiatek’s ship appeared to be sinking, she plugged the holes in her game. She came back to hold for 1-1, and eventually prevailed in a see-saw second set that was filled with break points and mini-shifts in momentum.

That back and forth quality continued all the way through the third set as well. The match was reminiscent of Ekaterina Alexandrova’s win over top seed Aryna Sabalenka the previous day. Each time the higher-ranked player—Swiatek, Sabalenka—seemed to have asserted her authority and taken the lead for good, the lower-ranked player—Noskova, Alexandrova—proved again that she could match her weapons. Stroke for stroke, there wasn’t a whole lot that separated No. 1 and 2 from No. 25 and 33.

Until the end, that is. On Tuesday, Alexandrova never tightened up or faltered when the finish line appeared on the her mental horizon. On Wednesday, Noskova did. With Swiatek serving at 3-4 in the third set, Noskova went up 0-30. A Swiatek defeat seemed highly plausible, considering that Sabalenka and No. 3 seed Coco Gauff had already been sent packing this week.

Swiatek is the only Top 4 seed left in Doha after early exits from Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Jasmine Paolini.

Except that, in this case, Noskova couldn’t make it happen. She could barely get a ball in play.

Noskova missed two returns to make it 30-30, and another return to give Swiatek the game. At 4-4, Noskova missed three forehands and was broken. On Iga’s second match point, she belted a forehand into the net.

For most of three sets, Noskova showed how little difference there is between a top player and a second-tier player. Then she spent the last three games showing what that difference is. She was the one who couldn’t modulate her strokes and play with a little more margin when she was nervous. Swiatek could.

“Every match with Linda is always super-tough,” said Swiatek, who won her 14th straight match in Doha dating back to 2021. “Wasn’t easy with her serve, which was kind of perfect.”

Yesterday I wondered whether Sabalenka’s loss might signal a shift at the top of the WTA in Swiatek’s direction. Since 2022, Iga has used Doha as a launching point for a run of dominance that lasts through Roland Garros.

Today she almost failed to launch. But by now, as she said, Swiatek knows how tennis works. Winning doesn’t always depend on what you do; it can also mean hanging around and giving it your best until your opponent loses.

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Swiatek, Sabalenka, Gauff compared in ‘intimidating’ verdict from WTA rival

By Al Faqiih February 2, 2025

Ons Jabeur has named both Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff as her most ‘intimidating’ rivals on the WTA Tour.

Former world No 2 Jabeur has been a regular opponent for current world No 2 Swiatek and world No 3 Gauff during their careers, with a combined 15 meetings against the two.

The Tunisian trails 2-5 in her head-to-head against Swiatek – including a loss in the 2022 US Open final – while she is 2-6 down in her head-to-head versus US star Gauff.

Jabeur was a guest on Nothing Major and, asked by Sam Querrey who her most ‘intimidating’ rival was, spoke about the challenge of facing both major champions.

She said: “There are a lot. I think Iga is a pretty solid player. She does not give you any free points, which is kind of difficult to play against.”

“Coco is really amazing too, she plays unbelievable tennis. There are a lot of solid players where you have to be, if not 100%, very close to it to play on that day.”

Jabeur also spoke about the challenge of facing Aryna Sabalenka, the current WTA world No 1.

WTA Tour News

WTA Abu Dhabi draw: Emma Raducanu lands nightmare draw

Emma Raducanu turns to former coach as she confirms he will ‘help me out this week’

The Tunisian trailblazer holds a 2-4 head-to-head against the Belarusian, a three-time Grand Slam champion and a recent runner-up at the Australian Open.

However, despite trailing in their rivalry, the 30-year-old triumphed in the biggest meeting of their career – rallying from a set and a break down to win their 2023 Wimbledon semi-final.

Despite that match, the three-time major finalist revealed that she “used to hate” facing the Belarusian and admitted that she found herself struggling with the pace of Sabalenka’s groundstrokes.

“I used to hate playing against Aryna, because the way she hits the ball, I basically could not see it, and I get frustrated by the speed of the ball,” added Jabeur.

“But people would tell you: ‘Oh, you have the touch.’ I think speed definitely beats the touch because, if I cannot find it, I cannot do it, so one of the players I didn’t like to play is Aryna.”

After a difficult 2024 season that saw the former world No 2 struggle with form and fitness and fall outside of the top 30, Jabeur is looking to work her way back up the rankings in 2025.

The world No 34 will be in action at the Abu Dhabi Open this week and faces a tough opening match against seventh seed Jelena Ostapenko.

Sabalenka, Swiatek, and Gauff are all set to return to action at next week’s Qatar Open in Doha – the first WTA 1000 event of the 2025 season.

It will be the first event for all three women since their Australian Open campaigns; Swiatek and Sabalenka were beaten in the semi-final and final respectively by Madison Keys, while Gauff fell in the last eight to Paula Badosa.

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Iga Swiatek brings increased clarity with Australian Open run

By Al Faqiih January 30, 2025

The good news for Iga Swiatek is that, after two straight early exits in Melbourne, she returned to the Australian Open semis for the first time since 2022. This year, in her first five matches, Swiatek was exceptionally dominant, dropping just 14 games in ten sets. As Emma Navarro said after losing 6-1, 6-2 to Swiatek in an 89-minute quarterfinal, “I think something she does really well is she’s really quick, and she does everything with 100 percent conviction and intensity.”

Said Swiatek that day, “These tournaments are long. Even if you start amazing, like, something can happen during the two weeks. I wouldn’t say something feels super different. Probably, yeah, I feel like I’m relaxed and just focused on the right things.” Amid last year’s frustrating losses at Wimbledon and the US Open, as well as her recent drug suspension, it was refreshing to see Swiatek playing with renewed focus and precision.

Swiatek got within a point of reaching her first Australian Open final after an excellent week in Melbourne.

But then came the bad news. One point away from reaching her first Australian Open final, Swiatek was overcome by an inspired Keys in one of the best matches of the tournament, losing 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (8) in two hours and 38 minutes. “I felt like I had my chance,” said Swiatek. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Maybe I’ll have more chances. I think I’m pretty spoiled in a way that I could always use these chances. When I had an opportunity to win, I always kind of win. Obviously it’s disappointing when it doesn’t happen, but this is sport, so it’s not always going to go my way.”

Both on and off the court, Swiatek’s 2024 was often mysterious, vague, ambiguous (such as the chronology of events surrounding the suspension). The thinking here is that she’s in excellent shape to step confidently forward as ’25 continues.

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Iga Swiatek responds when asked to pick Aryna Sabalenka’s best attribute

By Al Faqiih January 22, 2025

Iga Swiatek remains on a collision course to meet Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the Australian Open, reaching the last eight with a dominant display over lucky loser Eva Lys.

The Polish performer is desperate to get back her spot as the number-one ranked player in the world. If she wins the tournament in Melbourne that will become a reality.

Swiatek demolished Emma Raducanu in round three. The Great Britain star had no answer to Swiatek’s brilliance and she was similarly emphatic against German performer Lys on Monday.

It proved a tough end to the year 2024 for Swiatek. With that in mind, she’s going to focus on the tennis this year and a final against Sabalenka would potentially be a superb match.

Iga Swiatek picks best attribute of Aryna Sabalenka

It might be premature but Swiatek has already been quizzed on the brilliance of Sabalenka with the two players comfortably the most in-form stars on the WTA Tour at the moment.

It does appear as though there is mutual respect between the two players. Swiatek will face a couple of tough matches if she’s to reach the final but as a multiple Grand Slam winner, she’s got what it takes.

During her press conference, Swiatek had praise for Sabalenka and even picked out what she thinks is her best attribute.

Swiatek said: “Well, honestly I think we’re the most consistent players on tour, and this is also what the rivalry is about.

“But when we face each other, you know, sometimes, as it was in Cincinnati, it goes to Aryna. Sometimes, like in Rome, it goes to me. It’s not always that we have tight matches, but we do, like Madrid final, like US Open semis.

“So I guess, you know, we’re just both good and feel like we are covering every aspect of the game in terms of the preparation. We’re just really professional and also pushing each other to work harder.

“So yeah, I mean, how does it feel? Like, you have to just be there, like, on point and 100% ready, because playing top player is always hard, so yeah.

“I don’t know. I feel like she has a complete kind of technique, like pretty smooth.

“She’s just solid from every position on the court, even like volleys and stuff that we don’t use, like, that often on singles.

“Yeah, I mean, she has variety, and she can play flat, she can play topspin. Like, basically I would say that Aryna is kind of a complete player.”

Swiatek looks like the player to beat for Australian Open title

Despite boasting five Grand Slam titles, Swiatek has never claimed glory at the Australian Open with her best run being a semi-final in 2022.

Having won the US Open that year, it’s clear that playing on hard courts isn’t a problem for Swiatek and she will be desperate to reach the final this year.

If she does reach the final, she won’t care who she plays but as a lover of tennis the best possible match-up is likely to feature Swiatek and Sabalenka.

Given how much stamina she’s saving with these easy victories, it’s hard to look past Swiatek for the title at the moment and she should be fresh for the latter stages.

Emma Navarro is up next for Swiatek and the number eight seed will naturally provide a stern test for the Polish performer.

With the world number two losing just 11 games in four matches, however, it seems clear who will be the favourite going into that one.

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Iga Swiatek storms into milestone 10th Grand Slam

By Al Faqiih January 20, 2025

Iga Swiatek storms into milestone 10th Grand Slam quarterfinal of career at Australian Open

At 23 years old, she’s the youngest woman to reach her 10th career Grand Slam quarterfinal in 16 years.

Iga Swiatek has continued her path of destruction through the draw at this year’s Australian Open, storming past Germany’s Eva Lys in the fourth round of the first major of the year, 6-0, 6-1.

And with that victory, she hits a new milestone: Swiatek is now through to the 10th Grand Slam quarterfinal of her career.

Having reached the quarterfinals of the US Open last year, this is also the first time in her career that she’s made the quarterfinals or better at back-to-back majors outside of Roland Garros.

IGA SWIATEK’S GRAND SLAM QUARTERFINALS (10):

Won 2020 Roland Garros
QFs at 2021 Roland Garros
SFs at 2022 Australian Open
Won 2022 Roland Garros
Won 2022 US Open
Won 2023 Roland Garros
QFs at 2023 Wimbledon
Won 2024 Roland Garros
QFs at 2024 US Open
QFs at 2025 Australian Open (so far)

Additionally, at 23 years old, Swiatek is the youngest woman to reach her 10th Grand Slam quarterfinal in 16 years, since Svetlana Kuznetsova reached her 10th at the 2009 Australian Open.

Kuznetsova was a slightly younger 23 than Swiatek at the time.

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Iga Swiatek vs Rebecca Sramkova prediction, lineups betting tips & odds, head-to-head, preview: Australian Open 2025

By Al Faqiih January 15, 2025

Swiatek crushed Katerina Siniakova in the first round.

Five-time Grand Slam winner, Iga Swiatek, has set her eyes at the Australian Open 2025 trophy as she hopes for a head-start to the new season amidst the controversy which has engulfed her over the past few weeks regarding the doping scandal.

The Polish began 2025 with a fabulous individual outing at the United Cup where she carried her team to the final before going down to Coco Gauff. Swiatek carried her form in the first round of the Australian Open wherein she took down Katerina Siniakova comfortably in straight sets.

While Siniakova did make Swiatek work hard for the victory, the Polish star remained untroubled for the most part of the game and dominated the proceedings right from the onset. The four-time Roland Garros winner could save only one out of three break points against Siniakova, but eventually wrapped up the contest in 1 hour and 23 minutes.

Post her victory over the Czech, Swiatek became the only player to have reached the second round of every Grand Slam since 2020.

Match details

Tournament: Australian Open 2025

Stage: Round-two

Date: January 16

Venue: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Surface: Hard Court (Outdoor)

Preview

The second seed eliminated Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Australian Open 2025 to advance to the next stage. Swiatek has managed to shut the outside noise and continued with her good form, having won five out of her last six games.

However, having been knocked out at the hands of a lower-ranked opponent last year, Swiatek will take every match seriously. With the Pole desperate to win in Melbourne, she would hope to dominate her early rounds to improve her confidence heading into crucial fixtures.

Her opponent, Rebecca Sramkova had last played the main draws of the Australian Open in 2017 where she lost the first round. Hence this is her best outing Down Under, having beaten Katie Volynets in R1 in three sets. Given her form though lately, the Slovak is in for a tough match in the second round.

Form

Iga Swiatek: W-W-L-W-L

Rebecca Sramkova: W-L-L-L-W

Head-to-head record

Matches: 0

Iga Swiatek: 0

Rebecca Sramkova: 0

Swiatek and Sramkova have never faced each other previously. The second round of the Australian Open 2025 marks the first instance when these two take on each other.

Stats

Iga Swiatek

Swiatek is currently ranked second
Swiatek has never won the Australian Open
Swiatek lost the third round of the 2024 Australian Open
Swiatek has won 5 out of her last 6 encounters

Rebecca Sramkova

Rebecca Sramkova is currently ranked 47
Rebecca Sramkova has qualified for the Australian Open main draws for the first time since 2017
Rebecca Sramkova has never played the second round of an Australian Open
Rebecca Sramkova was the runner-up of the 2024 Jiangxi Open

Iga Swiatek vs Rebecca Sramkova Betting tips and odds

Moneyline: Iga Swiatek -1450, Rebecca Sramkova +900

Match Prediction

The battle between world number #2 and #47 has a clear favourite. Swiatek is expected to emerge victorious, in dominating fashion given her own form lately, coupled with her opponent’s dry spell. Sramkova fared poorly at both Auckland and Brisbane, despite battling lower ranked players.

Hence, to come up against a five-time Grand Slam winner will be a mighty tough task for the Slovak. However, Rebecca Sramkova will hope to be fearless and come out with a nothing to lose attitude. Swiatek has shown her vulnerabilities often on non-clay courts in the past and such is the unpredictability of the sport in the women’s arena, that an upset can never be ruled out.

The Polish has her eyes at the top spot in the WTA Rankings too, as she has the chance to regain the crown should she win the title. With this second-round clash of the AO open set to take place between two players placed at the opposite ends of the spectrum, Swiatek is expected to cruise to the third round of the marquee competition.

Prediction: Iga Swiatek to win in straight sets

Where and how to watch live streaming and TV broadcast of Iga Swiatek vs Rebecca Sramkova, second-round match at Australian Open 2025?

Indian viewers can tune in to the 2025 Australian Open for the second round between Iga Swiatek and Rebecca Sramkova on the Sony Network and their streaming service, SonyLiv. Viewers in the UK can watch the event live on Eurosport and streaming partner Discovery Plus. ESPN and Tennis Channel will be broadcasting the tournament in the US along with streaming partners ESPN+ and Fubo.

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Iga Swiatek explains why she got ‘angry’ during her first round

By Al Faqiih January 14, 2025

Iga Swiatek explains why she got ‘angry’ during her first round match at the Australian Open

Iga Swiatek has made a winning start to the 2025 Grand Slam season, after beating Katerina Siniakova in her first round match at the Australian Open.

Swiatek played on the John Cain Arena for the first time since 2022, but that did not seem to phase her after she enjoyed a straight sets win in Melbourne.

This was the first match that the Pole had played since the United Cup, where Swiatek lost to Coco Gauff in the final.

Iga Swiatek backs change made by the Australian Open

The Australian Open have made a big change this year, with coaches now able to sit courtside on some of the bigger courts.

This innovation has received mixed reviews, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka not a fan of the Australian Open’s decision.

Swiatek was more positive about the change made by the tournament when speaking in her post-match press conference.

“I think it’s much more convenient because, well, we can use the coaching. We don’t need to if we don’t want to,” said Swiatek. “But I think these rules with coaching, they were nice for smaller courts, but if you play on a stadium, it’s impossible to hear the coach anyway.

“Now actually it makes more sense, because both if you play on a smaller court you can use it if you play on the stadium, as well. I think now it finally makes sense (smiling). Yeah, I like it. It’s our choice if we want to use it or not. If you have a good communication with your coach, I think it might work.”

Iga Swiatek explains why she got angry at the Australian Open

Swiatek hit a total of 15 unforced errors in her first match at the Australian Open against Siniakova, with nine of those coming from the backhand wing.

This is something that the five-time major winner admitted was frustrating her, with Swiatek speaking to new coach Wim Fissette during the match.

“Honestly, today I knew what mistakes I did. It was more me talking to Wim and being angry about some shots that I didn’t make as I wanted to (smiling),” continued Swiatek. “Though I don’t think I’m supposed to talk, so let’s pretend I didn’t say that.

“Yeah, I mean, today I didn’t feel like I needed coaching. I knew what I needed to improve. I just focused on the tips that I gave to myself kind of.”

Swiatek now moves onto play world number 49 Rebecca Sramkova in her second round match at the Australian Open.

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Swiatek ‘grateful’ for player support after ban

By Al Faqiih January 10, 2025

Australian Open 2025

Dates: 12-26 January Venue: Melbourne Park

Coverage: Live radio commentary on Tennis Breakfast from 07:00 GMT on BBC 5 Sports Extra, plus live text commentaries on the BBC Sport website and app

Iga Swiatek says she is grateful for the support from her fellow players since she returned from a one-month doping suspension.

Five-time major winner Swiatek’s positive test for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in August was accepted as being caused by contamination.

The ban was not made public until November, and Poland’s Swiatek said she felt “pretty awkward” about not being able to say why she missed three tournaments during that time.

Swiatek attributed her absence at the time to fatigue, personal reasons and a change of coach.

Four-time French Open champion Swiatek said she considered announcing the reason for her absence sooner but decided it would be “easier to tell the whole story when it is complete”.

In a news conference at the Australian Open, Swiatek said: “It was probably the worst time in my life.

“The fact I had no control over this whole situation and I had no chance to avoid it made it even worse because I’m a control freak a little bit.

“Having the feeling that everything that I built can be taken away so quickly because of something you have no control over was pretty crazy for me and really abstract.”

Swiatek competed at the WTA Finals and Billie Jean King Cup Finals after her provisional suspension was lifted, but before her ban was made public.

The 23-year-old previously said she was “scared” of a hostile reaction from her fellow players.

“In the locker room, the girls are great. They are really supportive,” said Swiatek.

“Most of them approached me. They’re like, ‘how can we avoid this? Is there any way that we can be more careful?’

“They are worried this can happen to them as well.

“I really appreciate that, because it made me feel better when I came back and I didn’t know how it was going to be.”

Swiatek begins her Australian Open campaign against Czech Katerina Siniakova, with the tournament starting on Sunday.

The handling of Swiatek’s ban and the case of world number one Jannik Sinner – who received no ban and was cleared of wrongdoing after testing positive for a banned substance – have drawn criticism.

Nick Kyrgios described the two high-profile cases as “disgusting” for tennis.

Italy’s Sinner says he still does not know when the hearing to settle his ongoing doping controversy will take place.

The Italian, who is the defending men’s singles champion at the Australian Open, tested positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol, which was accepted as being caused by contamination.

However, the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed against the decision to clear him of blame.

“I know exactly as much as you guys know,” Sinner told media in Melbourne.

“It’s something I have with me already for quite a long time. But it is what it is.

“I’m here trying to prepare for the Grand Slam. Let’s see how it goes.”

Sinner had the most successful season of his career to date in 2024, winning two major titles, the season-ending ATP Finals, and leading Italy to back-to-back Davis Cup triumphs.

Sinner added: “In my mind I know exactly what happened. That’s how I block it.

“I haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why I’m still here. That’s why I’m still playing. I don’t want to respond to what Nick [Kyrgios] said or what other players say.”

Sinner begins his campaign against Chile’s Nicolas Jarry at Melbourne Park.

Britain’s Emma Raducanu said she avoided using antiseptic spray on a recent bite that caused her ankle to swell, such is the care she feels she must take to avoid positive tests for prohibited substances.

“I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” Raducanu said.

“It’s obviously a concern on our minds. We’re all in the same boat. I think it’s just how we manage the controllables as best as we can.

“If something out of our control happens then it’s going to be a bit of a struggle to try and prove.”

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Iga Swiatek has six words to describe her 2025 United Cup after

By Al Faqiih January 8, 2025

Iga Swiatek has six words to describe her 2025 United Cup after Poland’s final loss to the USA

Iga Swiatek had a roller-coaster 2025 United Cup to say the least, with her tournament once again ending in heartache.

Swiatek recorded her 10th United Cup singles win at the latest edition of the team event, where Poland lost a second successive final.

The nation lost to Germany for the 2024 United Cup trophy, with Swiatek and her teammates following that up with a 2025 loss to the USA.

Swiatek suffered a leg injury during the United Cup, but still managed to impress in both singles and doubles.

Her tournament was not without drama and controversy, however, with Swiatek criticised for her time out taken against Great Britain’s Katie Boulter.

Iga Swiatek describes her 2025 United Cup in six words

She was also on the receiving end of a tense handshake from the USA’s Danielle Collins, while the Pole wasn’t overly friendly with her post-match handshake with Gauff.

Swiatek has now done her best to summarise the experience, having shared images of the tournament on Instagram.

The images were accompanied by the message: “Amazing, challenging, joyful, exhausting, intense, inspiring. Thank you.”

Iga Swiatek shines at 2025 United Cup ahead of Australian Open

Drama aside, Swiatek was on fire throughout the tournament, beginning with her singles and doubles wins over both Norway and the Czech Republic in the group stages.

Victories over Boulter and Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina then followed in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.

But her dream run was finally brought to an end in the final, with MVP Gauff edging past Swiatek before Taylor Fritz beat Hubert Hurkacz to secure a 2-0 win for the USA.

The Pole’s focus will now switch to the Australian Open, where she will be eager to remain fully fit in a bid to upset world number one Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka is the two-time defending champion in Melbourne, and goes into the Grand Slam on the back of a Brisbane International success.

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