The 2025 tennis season has officially kicked off with the United Cup Down Under, bringing excitement, surprises, and rising stars to the forefront. Among them is China’s Gao Xinyu, who stepped up after Qinwen Zheng withdrew, and has been delivering jaw-dropping performances. Her latest match against Germany’s Laura Siegemund was nothing short of intense, with both China and Germany vying for a spot in the quarterfinals. But you won’t believe what went down during this high-stakes clash.

Xinyu, ranked World No. 175, has been turning heads since the tournament began. She shocked the tennis world in her first match by defeating World No. 17 Beatriz Haddad Maia in a three-set thriller—5-7, 6-4, 7-5. This win not only showcased her skill but also marked her first-ever victory against a top-50 player. Germany’s Laura Siegemund had her own triumph over Haddad Maia, as she battled through a grueling match to claim a 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 victory when Germany faced Brazil. With both players securing wins in their opening matches, their December 30 encounter became an important showdown in Group E.

Xinyu started strong, dominating the first set with a commanding 6-1 victory. But the match took a controversial turn in the second set. At 40-30, Gao struck a return that replays showed had grazed Laura Siegemund’s racket before going out. The umpire missed the call, and Gao was broken for 0-2 instead of getting leveled 1-1.

Siegemund remained silent about the call, leaving Xinyu visibly rattled. The momentum shifted and the World No.80 took the second set 6-3. Despite the setback, Gao showed incredible resilience in the decider. She bounced back with renewed strength, winning the third set and ending the match with a scoreline of 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Now, the score of the Germany Vs China tie is 1-1. The outcome of the group hinges on the mixed doubles match between the Chinese pair of Gao and Wu Yibing for China and the German pair of Siegemund and Alexander Zverev. Whoever wins will battle it out in the quarter-finals with Kazakhstan.

This isn’t the first time Siegemund has been at the center of controversy.

Laura Siegemund’s US Open Showdown with Coco Gauff

During the 2023 US Open, Siegemund faced Coco Gauff in a match where disputes were raised over her slow play. “She went over the clock about four times, you’ve given her a time violation once. How is this fair?” Gauff said, voicing her frustration to the umpire. “It’s not like we’re playing a lot of points. You’re calling the score like six seconds after the point is over. You’ve missed her like four times. She’s never ready. It’s not like we’re having 30-ball rallies. It’s two balls.”

Siegemund ultimately received a time violation after Gauff complained. The match extended nearly three hours, partly due to the 36-year-old’s pace, often letting the serve clock expire and making Gauff wait to serve. The American player finally won the match 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. During the match, the crowd had grown increasingly impatient, eventually booing Siegemund for her tactics. The tension reached a climax when Siegemund, visibly emotional, was brought to tears during the post-match press conference.

“There is no doubt that I am slow. There is no doubt about that. I’m getting time violations. There is no doubt that I should be quicker…but at the same time, it’s how I play. I’m very slow. I do it for me, I don’t do it against the other one. Clapping when you miss the first serve, those kinds of things, I have no understanding for it,” Siegemund expressed.

The incident added fuel to Siegemund’s reputation for gamesmanship, a label that has followed her into the 2025 season. All this drama has lit up the United Cup even more. With quarterfinal spots on the line, who will rise to the occasion and claim the trophy?