Coco Gauff has kicked off her 2025 season in spectacular fashion at the United Cup in Australia. The World No. 3 has been dominating the court, winning every match for Team USA without dropping a single set. Her 6-1, 6-4 victory over Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova in the semifinals on Saturday proved to be crucial, securing the Americans a spot in the finals. Now, Gauff awaits Iga Swiatek in the title clash. And the world No. 2 is already singing praises of the 20-year-old!

Swiatek is leading Poland’s charge at the United Cup. The Polish star played a pivotal role in securing her team’s place in the finals, clinching a hard-fought 7-6(5), 6-4 win over Elena Rybakina in the semifinals. With the final set to take place on Sunday in Sydney, Swiatek and Gauff are ready to face off for the 14th time on Tour. Ahead of their highly anticipated matchup, Swiatek was asked to talk about “very familiar opponent” of hers.

Speaking about the American star, she said, “And against Coco, you know, she’s playing great, I think. I mean, I haven’t watched, but Coco is I think at this stage she’s developing every month, and it’s going to be also a nice challenge, and, you know, I’m happy with my game. I can kind of play without expectations and just push for more as I did today. I’ll be happy anyway if I do, like, the same kind of work I did today, like, no matter the result. So I’ll focus on myself.”

Further, she was asked about the weirdness of facing Karolina Muchova twice recently. This is how the backstory goes. Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz secured Poland’s place atop Group B at the United Cup on Wednesday. Their 7-6(3), 6-3 mixed doubles victory over Karolina Muchova and Tomas Machac clinched a 2-1 tie win, booking Poland’s third consecutive quarterfinal appearance. Earlier, World No. 2 Swiatek notched her 10th career United Cup singles victory with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 win over Muchova.

Swiatek continued, “Well, I wouldn’t say it’s super weird. It also happens sometimes in WTA Finals, but for sure, you know, there is always going to be a question, like, is she going to change something or not? Because playing the same week, we kind of know what to expect. So for sure I’ll need to, like, be ready for different scenarios.”

Head-to-Head: This final clash adds another chapter to the growing rivalry between the two. Gauff and Swiatek have faced each other 13 times, with the Polish star holding a dominant 9-2 lead in their head-to-head battles. In 2024 alone, they met three times, with Swiatek winning in Rome and at the French Open. However, Gauff claimed a significant victory at the WTA Finals later in the year, a tournament she went on to win.

Gauff wasn’t far behind. She sent a subtle warning to the Polish superstar. “Yeah, I’m feeling great. I felt like I was playing good today. Obviously Iga is a tough opponent. I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it too much yet. But yeah, I think it’s going to be a great level of tennis and super excited to go out there tomorrow and hopefully bring the Cup back home,” Gauff said in the USA’s post-match press conference about the prospect of playing Swiatek.

After the 2024 season ended on a high note at the WTA Finals, the World No.3’s decided to start the 2025 season with the United Cup. This raised some eyebrows, considering she has reigned supreme at the Auckland Open for two years now.

Coco Gauff reveals why she opted to start her season with the United Cup

The United Cup marked a shift in Coco Gauff’s approach to her new season. Traditionally, the 20-year-old started her year at the Auckland Open, where she has been highly successful, winning the tournament twice. This year, however, she opted to compete in the United Cup, citing the higher level of competition and the team aspect of the event.

“I love Auckland. I won twice there. It was a great tournament,” the 2023 US Open champion said. “For me, I wanted to play a higher level of competition and also a team competition. I had a lot of fun with the Paris Olympics. The season’s already so much by ourselves that it’s nice to mix it up.”

Gauff and her teammate Taylor Fritz faced disappointment at the Paris Olympics last year, falling in the mixed doubles quarterfinals. Despite that setback, the United Cup has given them a chance to bounce back and shine on the international stage.

After a successful run at the United Cup, Gauff has her sights set on the Australian Open taking place on 12th January. Last year, she reached the semifinals in Melbourne before falling to the defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka.

This match between the top WTA stars Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek might just set the tone for the rest of the season. Who do you think will emerge as the victor?