Iga Swiatek insists ‘everything is fine’ after back-to-back defeats at United Cup
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Poland's Iga Swiatek reacting during her 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 loss to Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during the women's singles match of the 2026 United Cup final on Jan 11.
PHOTO: EPA
Follow topic:
SYDNEY – Iga Swiatek insists “everything is fine” despite back-to-back losses in the lead-up to the Australian Open, with the world No. 2 “super sore” but confident of recovering for the season-opening Grand Slam.
The Polish star crashed 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the mixed-team United Cup final
A shell-shocked Swiatek lost seven games in a row against Bencic, including a rare set to love, with a racquet toss and tears at the end of the match summing up her frustration.
It was uncharacteristic of the six-time Grand Slam winner, who seldom loses consecutive matches.
She most recently did so at the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November, falling to Elena Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova. Before that, her previous back-to-back defeats were in 2021.
“Everything is fine,” she said after the United Cup final, which Poland won 2-1 courtesy of Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski clinching the deciding mixed doubles.
“Just super sore. I guess first tournament of the year, it costs the body a bit differently than during the season. But I had similar experience last year also.
“I’ll just get good recovery, couple days off.
“Also I know these team events. I love them but they really take a lot of energy from you. I still need to figure out how to balance that maybe in the future.”
Swiatek, who picked up solid wins over Eva Lys, Suzan Lamens and Maya Joint before meeting Gauff and Bencic, admitted she was physically not in the second set against the Swiss.
“I think it was a mix of me losing the intensity, and I wasn’t feeling so sharp with movements and with my legs. I wasn’t so precise any more physically, I would say,” she said.
With the Australian Open starting at Melbourne Park on Jan 18, Swiatek has little time to iron out her technical issues after 36 unforced errors to Bencic’s 10 on Jan 11.
“We’re going to work now to improve some elements that didn’t work this week,” she said.
“Still not a lot of time for that if I also want to have some recovery days. This is how tennis is. You got to go with the flow. We’ll see.”
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam title to evade the 24-year-old, who has made the semi-finals twice but never gone further.
She lost in the last four in 2025 to eventual champion Madison Keys.
Bencic, meanwhile, powered back into the top 10 on Jan 12 for the first time since having a baby, with the in-form Swiss brimming with confidence ahead of the Australian Open.
The 28-year-old won all five singles matches at the season-opening United Cup in Perth and Sydney, including victories over Swiatek and seventh-ranked Jasmine Paolini.
She finished 9-1 for the tournament, with her only defeat coming in the final mixed-doubles decider against Poland on Jan 11.
It earned Bencic the event’s Most Valuable Player award and propelled her into the world’s top 10, where she has not been in since giving birth to daughter Bella in April 2024.
“Of course, a big confidence booster,” she said of her form ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne.
“You start the year, and you’re just trying to get matches in. Obviously it’s been great playing match after match, but being pushed so much from everyone.
“Also super happy to be in the top 10 now. It’s been a huge goal, a huge ride after the whole comeback, to come back and prove this to myself, that it’s possible.”
Bencic was ranked 421st at the start of the 2025 season.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian tennis player Marta Kostyuk has defended her “conscious choice” to address the plight of her country during the trophy presentation of the Brisbane International.
The world No. 20 did not shake hands with top-ranked Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka after being beaten in the Jan 11 final in straight sets.
Like many Ukrainian players, Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with Russians or Belarusians following Moscow’s invasion of her homeland nearly four years ago.
In her speech at the trophy presentation, the 23-year-old said: “I want to say a few words about Ukraine.
“I play every day with a pain in my heart and there are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now.
“It’s minus 20 degrees outside and it’s very painful to live this reality every day,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. AFP
