Poland secured their inaugural United Cup championship by triumphing over Switzerland, despite initially trailing after their second-ranked player globally, Iga Swiatek, suffered a loss in her initial singles match.
In Sydney, Belinda Bencic, an ex-Olympic gold medalist, provided Switzerland with an optimal beginning by defeating Swiatek with scores of 3-6, 6-0, and 6-3.
However, Hubert Hurkacz of Poland emerged victorious from an exhilarating three-set men’s singles match, evening the score with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win against three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka.
The decisive mixed doubles saw the Polish duo, Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski, uphold their flawless record throughout the competition, overcoming Bencic and Jakub Paul with sets of 6-4, 6-3 to secure an overall 2-1 triumph.
“We’ve finally achieved this — it’s a charm on our third attempt… though I wouldn’t call it luck, as we put in tremendous effort,” remarked Swiatek regarding Poland’s championship, which came after previously falling to Germany and the United States in the 2024 and 2025 final matches.
“I wish to express my gratitude to our squad because this season truly felt like a collective endeavor. I genuinely experienced the encouragement. Even though my individual singles play wasn’t flawless, you all significantly boosted my morale, and every single one of you maintained belief until the very conclusion.”
It seemed plausible that Poland could suffer defeat in a third successive final as Bencic extended her impressive singles streak at the United Cup with her ninth win, defeating Swiatek and putting Switzerland ahead in what was their debut final appearance.
Nevertheless, Hurkacz pulled Poland back into contention for the tie, sustaining his excellent performance upon his return to competitive play after a seven-month injury layoff, overcoming the 40-year-old Wawrinka during what marks his last professional season.
Subsequently, Kawa and Zielinski demonstrated their superiority over Bencic and Paul, exhibiting the same prowess that enabled them to triumph in a critical rubber against the American duo of Coco Gauff and Christian Harrison in the semi-finals, thereby securing their fifth consecutive victory in the tournament and claiming the championship for Poland.
