The Australian Open is looming, and the 2025 tennis season has already erupted with a palpable sense of anticipation. High-octane clashes are on the horizon, with the potential for a thrilling encounter between Nick Kyrgios and Jannik Sinner on the men’s side adding to the excitement. On the women’s side, the rivalry between Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek is intensifying. However, despite emerging victorious( her second consecutive win) in the United Cup final against Swiatek, Gauff showcased commendable sportsmanship with her gracious gesture of support.

In a press conference ahead of the Australian Open, the interviewer touched upon Gauff’s “very exciting rivalry with Iga” and hinted at a possible drop in Swiatek’s confidence following her doping controversy. To which, Gauff said, “No. I mean, I wouldn’t say she’s dropped her confidence. For me, I don’t know like her personally well, but just from the interactions that we’ve had, I definitely don’t think anything she did was intentional.”

To catch you up, Swiatek received a one-month suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in August. The ITIA accepted her claim that the substance, found in contaminated melatonin, was unintentional. This forced her to miss key tournaments like China and Wuhan Open. Although she lost to Gauff in her first match back at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, she impressed at the Billie Jean King Cup. Earning high praise from team captain Dawid Celt, who called her a “complete leader” for helping the team reach the semifinals despite physical and mental health concerns.

Futher Coco Gauff noted that she learned about the controversy like everyone else, “I don’t think she is not confident in herself. She’s playing great tennis. The match we played, I just happened to be a little better that day, maybe won a few points. It could have easily went the other way.” She acknowledged the Pole’s prowess, saying, “She’s still No. 2 in the world and playing amazing tennis. She’s always going to play amazing tennis, so…” Gauff isn’t the only rival supporting Swiatek.

Aryna Sabalenka, in a recent interview with The Age, shared her perspective on the doping controversy involving her top rival, Iga Swiatek. The Belarusian star highlighted her strong belief in a level playing field while voicing concerns about the tendency to rush to judgment in such situations.

“Whatever happened to her, I believe in a clean sport,” Sabalenka stated. “People tend to overreact when they hear something like this without fully understanding the details or considering the evidence.” She added, “It’s easy to judge successful people, but I prefer to trust the investigation process and the results. If they’ve declared her innocent, then I believe she is innocent.”

Despite their head-to-head record favoring Swiatek at 11 wins to Gauff’s 3, Gauff knows she must stay vigilant. She remarked that “she’ll be fine” going into the Australian Open starting January 12. Both players face tough competition in the Grand Slam, especially as Swiatek has been vocal about her mindset after the doping controversy.

Iga Swiatek is “at peace” heading into the 2025 season

After the news of her positive test results for the banned metabolic agent, Iga Swiatek was the recipient of backlash from players and insiders of the tennis scene and still is. With notable figures like Nick Kyrgios, Tara Moore, and Yevgeny Kafelnikov questioning how she was allowed to compete with only a one-month ban. The scrutiny has weighed heavily on her, leaving Swiatek to cope with sleepless nights and anxiety. She reflects on the ordeal with TVN24, stating,

“My reaction was very intense. It was a mix of confusion and panic. There was a lot of crying. My manager said my reaction was like someone had died or something serious had happened to my health.” More recently, in an interview with Tennis Insider Club, she discussed the public scrutiny surrounding her case.

“You can be at peace with yourself that you didn’t do anything wrong, but no one actually treats you like that… Especially the people that are kind of prosecuting you,” she explained, adding, “Even when you’re telling the truth, you feel like they treat you like a liar.” The emotional toll of the situation has been profound for her as she grapples with concerns about how people perceive her.

Now with the Australian Open on the horizon and challenging matchups ahead, Swiatek is determined to face the music. She expressed her fears about public perception during her absence from tournaments, saying, “What if people are going to, in their head, take it away from me? What if they’re going to look at me differently?”

As she prepares for this pivotal Grand Slam event, will she clinch her first AO title this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!