It's a collective victory with perhaps important lessons one week before the Australian Open. By fielding their best possible team, the Americans had displayed their ambitions in this United Cup, a mixed competition organized jointly by the WTA and the ATP since 2023. Coco Gauff, world No.3 and recent winner of the Masters, showed the way by dominating Iga Swiatek (N.2) 6-4, 6-4, before Taylor Fritz, 4th player in the world and finalist of the last US Open, won against Hubert Hurkacz (16th) 6-4, 5-7, 7-6. Like last year against Germany, Poland failed again in the final.
“They are an incredibly difficult team to play against and the margin was very slim“, estimated Fritz after having brought the second decisive point to his team by beating Hurkacz, after a close match between servers (30 aces). Before him, Gauff had given the first point to the Americans by taking the upper hand on Swiatek, former world No.1, whom she had already beaten in November in a group match at the Masters (6-3, 6-4).
“Today I think I played good tennis and I'm happy to get a point. It was difficult. I'm not going to liedeclared the 20-year-old, undefeated in this United Cup. I think I'm convinced that I'm one of the best players in the world and when I play well I'm hard to beat“. This bodes well one week before the Australian Open, of which she reached the semi-finals last year. She could also find Swiatek at this stage in theory, if the draw places them in the same part of the table.
