Iga Świątek will enter the 2026 Australian Open after successfully leading Team Poland, the two-time runner-up, to the title at the fourth edition of the United Cup, defeating Switzerland. The Polish sensation, who is second-seeded at the first Grand Slam, unfortunately faced an unwanted surprise during her recent press conference, which subsequently shook her strategy.
Iga Świątek Prefers to Stay in the Dark on Australian Open Draw
Świątek concluded her United Cup run on a high note, despite suffering two back-to-back losses in singles. After the mixed-gender event, she joined Australia’s Million Dollar One Point Slam. The second edition, which featured many elite players against amateurs in a one-point format, produced memorable matches, including the Pole’s defeat of Flavio Cobolli and Frances Tiafoe.
Ahead of the Grand Slam, Świątek appeared for her press conference, which somewhat took an uncomfortable turn for the player when one of the reporters, while asking the question, revealed that the WTA Finals title winner, Elena Rybakina, and two-time Australian Open champion, Naomi Osaka, are in her draw.
To which the Pole replied, pulling the plug, as she deliberately wanted to remain unaware of the draw, “I’m not looking at the draw. So, thanks for the heads up. Um, no, it’s not a joke. I’m literally not doing that. So please don’t spoil it for me. I want to be surprised after every match.”
Apart from Osaka and Rybakina, some of the other talents who share the same draw as the Pole include Belinda Bencic, who defeated her in the United Cup women’s singles final, Daria Kasatkina, Anna Kalinskaya, Liudmila Samsonova, and others.
However, with the Australian Open, Świątek is one title away from achieving a Career Grand Slam, as last year she won the Wimbledon Championships, along with holding four French Open titles and one US Open title.
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Considering the Career Grand Slam, the World No. 2 reflected her patience and step-by-step strategy; rather than focusing on the singular feat, she mentioned during the press conference, “I’m really just focusing on day-by-day work. And this is how it’s always been for me. This is how I actually was able to achieve, the success that I already have, just focusing really on grinding and match by match. Winning a grand slam is tough. Obviously it would be a dream come true, but this is not like my clear goal that I wake up with.”
In her first match, Świątek will meet Yuan Yue, World No. 84, marking their career’s second meeting. Their first clash was in 2025 at the China Open, with the Pole clinching the victory in the round of 64.
