Team Poland returns to the United Cup final for the third consecutive year by ousting defending champions Team USA in a colossal deciding mixed doubles matchup.
Both nations starred in the final last season, with the USA surging as two-time champions. On Saturday, they met again, as they battled for a ticket back to the title match.
World No. 83 Hubert Hurkacz opened the tie at Ken Rosewall Arena by taking on American No. 1 racquet Taylor Fritz, whom he edged out 7-6(1), 7-6(2) in one hour and 34 minutes to hand Poland the lead in the semifinal.
Speaking to ATP No. 1 Club Jim Courier after defeating Fritz, the 28-year-old assessed his performance, outlining: “I felt like I played actually quite solid myself. I tried to be more aggressive.”
The Pole set off his 2026 comeback campaign with consistent performances to beat world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, Dutch Tallon Griekspoor, and Fritz, only losing his singles tie against Australian Alex de Minaur on Friday, pocketing 77 aces throughout.
Sidelined from the tour since July 2025 due to a knee injury, the former world No. 6 has impressed with his run of form on Australian soil, amid the natural uncertainty surrounding the player after missing most of last year.
In that regard, he asserted: “Definitely pleasantly surprised in a way because I haven’t played in such a long time. In seven months, this is my first tournament. So coming back from such a long period, the first time in my life, you never know what to expect.
“On the other hand, I was putting so much work outside of the court, so I gave myself time to get back to my level, to an even better level, and maybe a little bit less expectations coming into this week helped as well.”
Then, Roland-Garros champion Coco Gauff dismantled former world number one Iga Swiatek in a world-class match, recording a commanding 6-4, 6-2 win to level the tie, keeping her country alive.
World No. 4 Gauff hit back on the court, joined by teammate Christian Harrison, to play the deciding doubles against Polish duo Jan Zielinski and Katarzyna Kawa.
Playing with aggression, the Polish pairing neutralized their opponents with authority, holding their ground by converting two crucial break points when the USA was serving for the second set, closing out the tiebreak in relentless fashion to take the overall win.
“Tomorrow there will be a lot of emotions, and hopefully we can show our best tennis,” Zielinski said.
All in all, the duo, who only dropped one set throughout the event, won 72 percent of the points on their first serve.
Poland, based in Sydney, won Group F play 3-0 with a perfect 6-0 match record, becoming the only team to achieve the feat this season at the mixed-teams event.
They remained undefeated on their way to their third final, a first against Switzerland.
The team led by playing captain Stan Wawrinka, making his first appearance at the venue in his farewell season, has shone bright at the hands of the inspired performances delivered by Belinda Bencic.
Earlier in the day, during the tie against Belgium, the world No. 11 continued to improve her game, unrelenting in double duty.
The Swiss kicked off proceedings against Elise Mertens, a fierce adversary who dug deep to force a third-set tiebreak under the Australian summer heat.
However, Bencic held her nerve, standing tall to hand her nation a 1-0 lead with a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(0) victory in two hours and 37 minutes.
“I was really focused on myself, on breathing, and I’m super happy that I stayed tough in the important moments,” remarked the 28-year-old.
The encounter was followed by the men’s singles, featuring former world No. 3 Wawrinka against Zizou Bergs, who rallied to outlast his rival, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3 to keep his country on course.
All players headed back to the court to play the mixed decider.
Bencic teamed up with Jakub Paul, as in all three of their previous contests, the duo has proven unbeatable.
For their part, Mertens and Bergs gave their all, coming back from a set down to level up and force a final set.
Eventually, the Swiss pair prevailed over the Belgian players 6-3, 0-6, 10-5, securing the team spot in the championship match for the first time in the tournament’s history.
“It’s easy to find the energy with this team. It’s great to play with Belinda. Hats off to her for playing for almost three hours and then coming out for the doubles. And great job by Stan to keep Zizou as long as possible on the court,” Paul stated after qualifying for the final.
Bencic advances to the final, having clinched all eight encounters she has contested, four singles and four mixed doubles.
“The team spirit is amazing, and it starts with the captain. He’s supporting all throughout my match, and then he goes out to play his own match, and then he’s back to support the doubles,” she asserted.
“It starts with him, but then with all the energy from our bench, it gives us such a spirit to win.”
They came, they saw, but will they conquer?
On Sunday, Hurkacz and the three-time major champion will square off, with all to play for.
Addressing the upcoming challenge, the Pole shared, “It’s going to be a fun match against Stan. He’s shown some amazing tennis throughout this tournament.
“Obviously, it’s his last year on tour. It’s really inspiring to watch him play, watch him compete. It’s going to be a fun challenge. Lots of positive emotions. So happy we’re in the finals again.”
Across 10 days (January 2-11), the host cities of Perth and Sydney have welcomed an 18-country line-up; each city serving as home for nine teams.
All final matches will be played in the same format as the group stage matches: one men’s single, one women’s single, and one mixed double match per final.
Sydney is hosting two semifinals, followed by the United Cup Final on Sunday, 11, 2026.