Iga Swiatek addresses injury concerns after beating Elena Rybakina to send Poland to 2nd United Cup final

Iga Swiatek defeated Elena Rybakina in a high-intensity match to lead Poland into their second straight United Cup final. Hubert Hurkacz had given Poland the lead earlier in the day with a win over Alexander Shevchenko.

On Saturday, January 4, Poland took on Kazakhstan in the semifinal of the 2025 United Cup. The men's singles match between Hurkacz and Shevchenko kicked the tie off, and the World No. 16 came out on top 6-3, 6-2.

A clash of WTA titans unfolded, as Swiatek and Rybakina faced off at the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney. Rybakina, one of the few players with a positive head-to-head record against Swiatek, led 5-3 in the first set. However, the Pole fought back to claim the set in a tiebreak.

In the second set, Swiatek secured a crucial break at 4-3 and sealed a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory. The World No. 2 had expressed concerns about a "sore" leg earlier in the tournament, playing with strapping on her right thigh after a grueling three-set quarter-final win over Britain's Katie Boulter.

Despite injury worries leading into the semifinal against Rybakina, Swiatek delivered an impressive performance. She later dismissed concerns during her on-court interview, providing a positive update ahead of Poland's second consecutive United Cup final.

"Well, on my last match, it hurt me for some time, and yesterday I thought I was more panicking because it's hard to say after, like, one day, you know, what's really going on there. But nothing happened, in everybody's opinion [laughing]. So I'm ready to play some more matches," Iga Swiatek said (from 2:30).

She admitted that it is not possible to be the "freshest player" in such a tournament but also believed it was the "perfect preparation before the Australian Open."

"You can't give up in tennis because if you're going to do it once, then you're going to do it second time, third time, you know, so you always have to just try and I think I'm going to be fine. So it's all good," she added.

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"It’s always tough against Elena Rybakina" - Iga Swiatek praises Kazakh after their United Cup 2025 SF encounter

Iga Swiatek at the 2025 United Cup: Source: Getty

Iga Swiatek faced Elena Rybakina in a highly anticipated United Cup semifinal, with the Kazakh holding a 4-2 advantage in their head-to-head record. After securing a hard-fought victory, the World No. 2 acknowledged the challenge of competing against a high-caliber opponent like Rybakina.

"I think that’s the first time I was able to win with Elena on a faster surface, so it means a lot," Iga Swiatek said on court after her win. "I for sure didn’t start well, I felt like I [was] on the hand-brake a bit."

"I wanted to really work and change the momentum, and I’m happy that I kind of did that at the last possible chance in the first set. I kind of told myself that I’m not going to miss anymore, and I’m happy because for sure it was tough. It’s always tough against Elena."

Swiatek maintained a perfect record at last year’s United Cup, where Poland finished as runners-up to Germany. This year, she has continued her dominance, winning all four matches and dropping just one set. Poland now awaits the outcome of the Czech Republic vs. USA clash later today to determine their final opponents.