Iga Swiatek reveals what the 'toughest' thing in tennis is after reaching United Cup final

Iga Swiatek shared her thoughts on the "toughest thing" in tennis after leading Team Poland to the final of the 2025 United Cup. Poland secured their spot in the championship match with a victory over Team Kazakhstan.

On Day 9 of the international hard-court tennis tournament featuring mixed-gender teams from 18 countries, Swiatek secured a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Hubert Hurkacz also delivered a strong performance, defeating Alexander Shevchenko 6-3, 6-2. The Polish mixed doubles team of Maja Chwalinska and Jan Zielinski wrapped up with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Kazakhstan's Shevchenko and Zhibek Kulambayeva.

During a post-match interview, Iga Swiatek shared her thoughts on how she managed to improve her backhand speed. She explained that while tighter strings played a role, the real challenge was focusing on one thing at a time.

“Oh my God, it’s not easy! I think this is the toughest thing in this sport. But you know, I just thought, 'I have nothing to lose.'" (1:34 onwards).

She added:

"And yeah, the strings helped for sure. But I think even with lower tension, it was more about me—not getting the right spin or speeding up my hand. So, I just tried to think about the details and not overthink anything—just think about one point at a time.”

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Team Poland set to face Team USA in 2025 United Cup final

2025 United Cup - Sydney: Day 9 - Source: Getty

Team Poland has secured a spot in the final of the United Cup 2025 with a dominant 3-0 victory over Kazakhstan. The team, led by Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz, will now face Team USA, featuring Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz.

Iga Swiatek has had a series of impressive victories in the tournament so far. On Day 4, the Pole breezed through the group stage, defeating Norway's Malene Helgo with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 win. Meanwhile, Hubert Hurkacz faced a setback, losing to Casper Ruud 5-7, 3-6.

Swiatek continued her dominant run two days later, overcoming the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova 6-3, 6-4. The following day, she battled through a thrilling match against Great Britain’s Katie Boulter, triumphing 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4.

Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz both are set to compete in the final on Sunday, January 5, 2025, after defeating Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina and Alexander Shevchenko in the semifinals on January 4.

In the other semifinal, USA’s Coco Gauff triumphed over Muchova 6-1, 6-4. Meanwhile, Tomas Machac had to retire midway through his match with Taylor Fritz, giving USA a 2-0 victory.