Iga Swiatek makes her feelings known on Elena Rybakina ahead of United Cup showdown

Iga Swiatek shared her thoughts about Elena Rybakina ahead of their upcoming showdown in the 2025 United Cup. The two will face off in the semifinal on Saturday (Jan. 4).

The United Cup is an international mixed-gender tournament held right before the Australian Open, featuring 18 countries. Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz are representing Poland in this event, among their compatriots.

On Thursday (Jan. 2), Swiatek triumphed over Great Britain's Katie Boulter in a thrilling match, clinching a 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 victory. Meanwhile, Hubert Hurkacz also played a key role in helping Team Poland reach the semifinals, securing a 7-6(3), 7-5 win over Britain's Billy Harris in his opening match.

In a post-match interview, Swiatek was asked how challenging it would be to face Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. The Polish player acknowledged that it would be tough but a great opportunity to test herself ahead of the Australian Open.

“Honestly I'm happy, because it's a nice challenge, especially before a Grand Slam. Elena likes playing in Australia, so for sure it's going to be a challenge,” the World No. 2 said.

Swiatek later mentioned that she didn't know who her opponent would be, adding:

“But yeah, honestly I didn't know who I'm even going to play, so obviously I can't say, like, more, because we're going to prepare probably tomorrow in the evening.”

The former World No. 1 continued:

“I think these two matches that I played will help me, because I know what I need to do after playing these two matches, and kind of I got through some tough moments. So it's not going to be so new, like, on the next one.”

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Elena Rybakina leads Iga Swiatek 4-2 in head-to-head record

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Elena Rybakina holds a 4-2 lead over Iga Swiatek in their head-to-head record. They have met each other on the court six times from 2021 to 2024.

Their first meeting came in the quarterfinals of the 2021 J&T Banka Ostrava Open in the Czech Republic, where Swiatek triumphed over Rybakina 7-6(5), 6-2.

In 2023, both the players met three times. The first was in the fourth round of the Australian Open, where Rybakina defeated Swiatek 6-4, 6-4. The second encounter came in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, where Rybakina again dominated with a 6-2, 6-2 win. Their third clash occurred in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open, where the Kazakh claimed the win with a 6-2, 6-7(3), 2-2 score after the Pole retired mid-match.

In 2024, their first match against each other was at the Qatar Open in Doha, where Iga Swiatek secured a 7-6(8), 6-2 victory. However, in their second meeting last year, at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, Elena Rybakina emerged victorious, winning 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

After their showdown in the United Cup, both will compete in the Australian Open from January 12-26.