Iga Swiatek broke down in tears at the United Cup on Friday after a shock loss to Jessica Pegula just days out from the Australian Open. The World No.1 suffered a stunning 6-2 6-2 loss to the World No.3 before the USA completed their victory over Poland on Saturday.
Pegula reversed a run of four straight losses to Swiatek with a commanding victory over the reigning French and US Open champion. Frances Tiafoe then extended the Americans’ lead with a 6-3 6-3 win over World No.245 Kacper Zuk.
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But the big talking point was Swiatek’s loss, with the Polish superstar a red-hot favourite to win the Australian Open. Pegula broke Swiatek five times and dropped her own serve only once in storming to her first win over the three-time grand slam champion since 2019.
“I’ve played her in a lot of different places but I definitely feel like these were the fastest conditions,” Pegula said. “Also Poland had a tough turnaround yesterday (flying from Brisbane) and we’ve been lucky enough to have been playing here, and maybe have a little bit of an advantage in being used to the courts.
“So I wanted to take that and use it as much as I could and I did a really good job playing really aggressive, serving smart and returning really well.”
Swiatek could be seen in tears after the match, a reaction that divided tennis fans. Some express their sadness for the World No.1, while others accused her of poor sportsmanship.
The 21-year-old later explained: “I just knew that I felt kind of helpless today, because physically and mentally I wasn’t able to kind of show up even, and problem-solve. So it’s always hard when you lose, especially when you’re kind of playing for the team and your country.
