Hurkacz and Swiatek lead Poland to maiden United Cup glory

There is a specific, heavy kind of silence that settles over Ken Rosewall Arena when a national dream hangs by a thread. For two years, I have watched Team Poland trudge out of this stadium as the “almost” champions of the United Cup. The perpetual bridesmaids to Germany and the United States.

But Sunday night in Sydney felt different. There was a grit beneath the polish, a sense that the triptych of Polish heartbreak was finally ready for its closing chapter.

The tie began with a tectonic shift that few in the press box anticipated. Iga Swiatek, usually the metronome of Polish success, looked untouchable as she raced to a 3-0 lead against Belinda Bencic.

Then, the gears jammed. Bencic, who has always possessed a preternatural ability to take the ball early and redirect pace, played with a liberated aggression that left the World No. 2 searching for answers.

After dropping the first set, Bencic orchestrated a clinical 6-0 dismantling in the second, eventually sealing a 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory. Swiatek’s 36 unforced errors told a story of uncharacteristic frustration, while Bencic, later named the tournament’s MVP, looked every bit the gold medalist she is.

It was, as Bencic later told us, “bittersweet”—a personal triumph in a losing team effort.

Poland’s fate fell to Hubert Hurkacz. To appreciate the weight of his 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win over Stan Wawrinka, one must look at the scars. Hurkacz wasn’t just battling a three-time Grand Slam champion; he was battling the ghost of a seven-month convalescence following knee surgery.

Across the net stood Wawrinka, the 40-year-old “Stanimal” embarking on his farewell season.

It was a clash of eras and serve-speeds. Hurkacz hammered 18 aces, his serve acting as a fire-extinguisher every time Wawrinka threatened to ignite. The Swiss veteran, though courageous, was haunted by missed opportunities, converting only two of 23 break points across the week.

For Hurkacz, who had previously lost championship-point heartbreaks in this very event, the victory was a purging of past demons. “To win that trophy, it tastes incredible,” he remarked, his voice carrying the exhaustion of a man who had finally climbed his mountain.

With the score deadlocked at 1-1, the title rested on the doubles alchemy of Jan Zielinski and Katarzyna Kawa. While Switzerland opted for the star power of Bencic and Jakub Paul, Poland leaned on the specialized telepathy of their duo.

Zielinski, a two-time mixed doubles major winner, was the anchor, but it was Kawa who provided the match’s pivotal spark.

At 5-4 in the first set, on a sudden-death deciding point, Kawa threw caution to the wind with a match-altering volley at the net. It was a high-stakes gamble that paid off, breaking Swiss resolve.

They eventually took the match 6-4, 6-3, finishing the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record as a pair. “It was like instinct,” Kawa said afterward, still buzzing from the adrenaline of the clincher.

As the confetti rained down, Swiatek’s “third time lucky” quip resonated. This wasn’t just a trophy presentation; it was a redemption arc.

For a seasoned observer of the tour, watching Hurkacz—who was nearly derailed by injury—and the doubles specialists carry the weight when their superstar leader faltered was a reminder of why the United Cup exists. Poland didn’t just win a title; they proved they are a complete tennis nation.