United Cup 2025: Iga Swiatek’s Frosty Gesture at Coco Gauff Triggers a Storm of Fan Backlash Despite Dominant Win

“Coco is I think at this stage she’s developing every month, and it’s going to be also a nice challenge,” this is what Iga Swiatek said about Coco Gauff ahead of the United Cup final. While World No. 2 was all praise for the American superstar and showed tremendous admiration, their handshake after their match was anything but friendly and that did not go unnoticed by spectators.

On Sunday, Gauff gave Team USA an early lead in the United Cup finals by defeating Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in a thrilling 1 hour and 52 minutes match. With this victory, she became the youngest player since Daria Kasatkina in 2017 to win three consecutive matches against the Top 2 players in the WTA. While this win was significant for Team USA, Swiatek, who had won 11 of her 13 encounters against Gauff, was visibly displeased to add another loss to that record.

After the match, the players shared a formal handshake at the net. However, Swiatek’s grip appeared lackluster as she quickly walked away, a moment that was captured in a video shared by Tennis TV. Renowned journalist Jose Morgado commented on the video, “A very unusual cold handshake from Iga Swiatek.”

During the match, Gauff showcased her focus and discipline by taking the first set 6-4 and putting the Pole in a panicky situation. Swiatek was visibly fazed and appeared to be struggling with fitness issues. She even took a medical time-out due to pain in her left leg. Emotions ran high as she burst into tears during the second set, with her teammate Maja Chwalinska trying to lift her spirits.

However, Morgado’s observation of the exchange between Gauff and Swiatek wasn’t welcomed by the fans online, especially by Swiatek’s supporters who rushed to defend her and call out Gauff, igniting a lively discussion.

Swiatek’s Fans express their support amidst “icy handshake” claim

Following the intense match between Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, one fan sent a not-so-subtle message to journalist José, saying, “José don’t make something out of nothing. The same handshake pass & go @CocoGauff gave to Iga team. Don’t stir the pot.” However, another fan had a different opinion, as he questioned Gauff’s actions, saying: “What’s with the cringe af celebration from Gauff? If I were Iga I wouldn’t even shake her hand.”

The commentary continued, as one netizen remarked, “After that classless celebration from the American?” This referred to Gauff’s excitement as she celebrated with fans at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre, who were cheering and waving American flags. Despite Gauff’s right to celebrate her undefeated tournament run, some of Swiatek’s fans weren’t impressed. One Polish fan expressed their feelings in their native tongue: “Po tej celebracji Coco? Idealny handshake moim zdaniem.” (Translated to: After that celebration Coco? Perfect handshake in my opinion)

One fan chimed in with a hilarious comment, “I’m wheezing I mean I would have done the same coz who you scooping at with your racket?” This drew attention to Coco Gauff’s new celebratory move, which involves a quirky “shoveling” gesture with her racket. The move struck some as absurd and left a few spectators confused about its intent.

Another user pointed out Swiatek’s cold handshake, saying, “A cold handshake from Iga. You want to talk about Collins’ mean behavior after the handshake with Iga before the game😭😭😭 There’s a lot to say about this player’s behavior towards Iga🤮.” This referred to Danielle Collins, who had given Swiatek an unpleasant expression during their pre-match handshake.

The drama surrounding the players certainly adds excitement to their rivalry. The season has just begun and it’s shaping to be a good one!