Iga Swiatek welcomes Christmas in Sydney, builds a snowman on the beach with creative twist

Iga Swiatek creatively built a 'snowman' on the beach in Sydney to get into the festive spirit miles away from home. The Pole is in Australia gearing up to participate in the 2025 United Cup.

Swiatek took to her Instagram story to share an image of a 'snowman' she built using sand. The snowman-themed sticker on her story added to the Christmas vibe, showing a playful way to celebrate the holiday season in a warmer climate.

Screengrab of Iga Swiatek's Instagram story (@iga.swiatek)

The World No. 2 also shared an adorable image from her childhood on her Instagram account to spread the festive cheer. She stands next to Santa Claus in the image and captioned it with Christmas greetings in Polish and English.

Swiatek will begin her 2025 season by representing her nation at the United Cup in the next few days. She ended her 2024 season in Poland colors in Malaga at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals where it lost to eventual champion Italy in the semifinals.

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Iga Swiatek gears up to represent Poland at the United Cup 2025

The WTA World No. 2 tennis player Iga Swiatek with the MVP award at the 2024 United Cup (Image: Getty)

In the inaugural edition of the United Cup two years ago, Poland defeated Switzerland and Kazakhstan in the group stages with Iga Swiatek winning both her singles matches. She was on the winning end again in Poland's triumph over Italy in the first knockout round but the USA whitewashed it 5-0 in the semifinals.

Last year, Poland defeated Spain and Brazil in the group stage with Swiatek pulling off a similar start to her season. She continued her winning run as Poland defeated China in the quarterfinals and France in the semifinals. In the final, she maintained her 100% record but Poland fell short as Germany won the event.

This year, soon after the World No. 2 landed in Sydney, she reflected on last year's heartbreak and told the United Cup's media team:

"For sure, last year, we were so close—match points on Hubi's [Hurkacz] match. This year, we want another chance and hope to go deep into the tournament to fight for the win because I think the Polish team is amazing."

Poland has been drawn against Norway and the Czech Republic in Group B. It is expected to begin its United Cup campaign on Monday, December 30.