“I have the belief that I’m one of the best players in the world and when I play good tennis I’m hard to beat,” said a jubilant Coco Gauff after defeating former World No.1 Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in her singles match of the 2025 United Cup final on Sunday. With this early victory, the 2023 US Open winner gave Team USA a crucial 1-0 lead over Poland. Her opponent Iga Swiatek, in the meantime, was left in tears during the match!

Prior to this face-off, Swiatek had won 11 of her 13 matches against Gauff. But this time, Gauff was extremely dominant. The 2023 US Open champion looked far more focused and disciplined than her opponent. She took the first set 6-4, putting Swiatek in a panicky situation. The Pole was visibly fazed. She was also struggling with her fitness as she took a medical time-out (MTO) after feeling heavy pain in her left leg. In the second set, she burst into tears as her teammate and WTA pro-Maja Chwalinska tried to lift her spirits.

Even after the MTO, things didn’t change much for the Pole. Gauff was already ahead of her and she eventually wrapped up the fight with a scoreline of 6-4 in the second set. “Today I think I played some great tennis. I’m glad I was able to get a point for Team USA. It was tough today, I’m not gonna lie.” said Gauff, as reported by United Cup’s official website on Sunday.

While Gauff and Swiatek had greeted each other with a smile before the match, it all changed once the match got over. Do we have another rivalry brewing for 2025?

Iga Swiatek gives a cold handshake to Coco Gauff after losing in the United Cup final

Gauff’s win wasn’t without challenges as she was initially down 2-4 in the second set. However, her resilience helped her bounce back. It’s only the third time she has reigned supreme over the Polish tennis sensation in their 14 overall WTA encounters. On the other hand, Iga Swiatek was upset with her injury woes.

The moment Swiatek faulted with her serve, giving Gauff her hard-earned victory point, the American was seen celebrating in style at the Ken Rosewall Arena. When the two approached the net for a handshake, however, one could clearly see Swiatek’s frustration. She was naturally frustrated and her handshake with Gauff was cold and unusual. It was almost like a ‘blink and you miss it’ moment.

The Pole was clearly not pleased with the outcome – and why would she be? She was completely outplayed by the young American. Will she carry this cold vibe the next time they meet each other in 2025? Time will tell.

Meanwhile, all eyes are on the United Cup final as it’s still underway. After Gauff provided a 1-0 lead, the onus is now on Taylor Fritz to keep the momentum going. In his singles match, he’s currently facing World No.16 Hubert Hurkacz. The 2024 WTA Finals runner-up and World No.4 has already won the first set 6-4 to gain an upper hand over his Polish opponent. Will he eventually lead Team USA to another United Cup title?