Poland has secured a historic first United Cup title in Sydney, though the triumph was somewhat overshadowed by mounting concerns over the fitness and form of world number two Iga Swiatek just a week out from the Australian Open.
Mixed Doubles Decider Seals Historic Victory
The decisive moment came at Ken Rosewall Arena, where the Polish duo of Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski displayed nerves of steel to defeat Switzerland's Belinda Bencic and Jakub Paul. The scoreline of 6-4, 6-3 in the mixed doubles rubber sealed the maiden team title for Poland, who had lost the final in both 2024 and 2025.
The Swiss team's defeat denied Bencic a perfect tournament record. The MVP had earlier staged a remarkable comeback to upset an ailing Swiatek 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, marking her fifth consecutive singles win alongside four doubles victories with Paul.
Wawrinka's Heroics Not Enough for Switzerland
Earlier, the tie was levelled at one rubber apiece thanks to a pulsating performance from Poland's Hubert Hurkacz. He overcame Switzerland's inspired playing captain, Stan Wawrinka, in a three-set thriller 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
The 40-year-old triple grand slam champion had whipped the crowd into a frenzy, sending love-heart signs to delirious fans after dragging his 16th-seeded Swiss side to within a set of an improbable victory. Wawrinka dazzled with his iconic one-handed backhand, but ultimately wilted after taking the second set, allowing Poland to storm to the title.
Swiatek's Worrying Form Ahead of Melbourne
While her team celebrated, Iga Swiatek's immediate future became a major talking point. The world No.2 will head to Melbourne under intense scrutiny after a series of concerning performances in Sydney.
In a worrying development, Swiatek left the court for treatment during her deflating loss to Bencic, a match where she suffered a rare 6-0 'bagel' set. Her frustration was palpable, culminating in her tossing her racquet and bursting into tears after her second straight defeat at the event.
This followed a straight-sets loss to world No.4 Coco Gauff on Saturday night. The six-time grand slam champion was also seen crying during a changeover in her victory over Australian Maya Joint just days earlier.
Swiatek moved to downplay the issues post-match. "Everything is fine. Just super sore," she said. "First tournament of the year, it causes the body (to feel) a bit different... I had similar experience last year also, so I’ll just get good recovery."
She attributed part of her fatigue to the emotional toll of team events. "I really love them, but they really take a lot of energy from you. I get so excited on the bench. It’s almost like playing a match."
However, the contrast was stark on Sunday as world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka underlined her Australian Open favouritism by winning a third successive Brisbane International title. The state of Swiatek's health and game will remain a key narrative as the tennis world converges on Melbourne Park for the season's first major, starting next Sunday.
