Iga Świątek started her 2026 season by representing Team Poland at the United Cup. During a press conference at the tournament, she reflected on her early days as an “underdog” in professional tennis.
This year marks the fourth edition of the United Cup, and in the previous three years, Team Poland has finished as the runner-up twice: in 2024 to Germany and in 2025 to the United States. Świątek was part of the Polish team in both instances.
Iga Świątek Opens Up About What It Was Like Being an ‘Underdog’ and an ‘Upcoming Player’
At the 2026 United Cup, Team Poland was placed in Group F, alongside former champions Team Germany and the Netherlands. They faced Germany first and won 3-0, with Świątek contributing a point by defeating Eva Lys in a singles match. Poland then faced the Dutch team and again emerged victorious with a 3-0 win, with the former World No. 1 triumphing over Suzan Lamens in another singles match.
These victories over Germany and the Netherlands allowed Poland to advance to the quarterfinals, where they will compete against the host nation, Australia.
After the win against the Netherlands, during a press conference, Świątek was asked about the early days in her career and what it was like to be an up-and-coming player facing more established opponents.
In response, the six-time singles Grand Slam champion expressed that she never viewed herself as an “upcoming star.” Instead, she concentrated on giving her best performance as the “underdog.” She reminisced about the days when she played in that role and recalled facing Ashleigh Barty, who was ranked World No. 1 at the time. She noted that experience “inspired her.”
“Yeah, well, I never thought of myself as, like, upcoming star or something, you know. I just try to play my best as an underdog. Honestly, it was pretty fun. I miss those days. I remember actually, like, playing against Ash. I could feel how good she is when she was No. 1 and so solid, and she really, like, inspired me actually,” Świątek said.
Świątek mentioned that being an “underdog” is advantageous because it brings a sense of “freshness” and allows a player to significantly improve their game.
Looking forward to facing Australia’s Maya Joint in the quarterfinals of the United Cup, Świątek praised the Aussie, describing her as “intelligent” and “humble.”
“Yeah, being an underdog and being this upcoming player with this freshness that you have, I think it’s great. It’s a moment where you improve your game the most. So for sure she’s I feel at that point of her career, and she’s doing great. She also seems like a really intelligent and humble person, so that’s also important in my opinion. Yeah, I wish her all the best, but not in two days,” she added.
Świątek and Joint have faced each other once before on the WTA Tour, in the semifinals of the 2025 Korea Open, where the Pole won with a scoreline of 6-0, 6-2. She then went on to defeat Ekaterina Alexandrova in the final, claiming her 25th career WTA Tour singles title.
