Competing in their third consecutive United Cup championship match, Poland surged to victory over Switzerland to capture the elusive title at Ken Rosewall Arena on Sunday’s final in Sydney.
Throughout ten days of high-level competition, reuniting 18 nations, Team Poland and Switzerland built solid paths toward the 2026 United Cup final held at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Center.
Both countries won their group stages in Sydney and Perth, respectively, dismantling their quarterfinal opponents to book their tickets into the knockout semifinals in Sydney undefeated.
On Sunday, the nations squared off in a fierce tie with the title on the line.
Eventually, the final tie went into a deciding mixed doubles; the Polish pairing of Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski, undefeated throughout, held their nerve to outlast the Swiss powerhouse duo of Belinda Bencic and Jakub Paul 6-4, 6-3 to taste glory at the event.
Earlier, six-time major champion Iga Swiatek lost 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 to Bencic, who delivered her best tennis in singles (finished 5-0) as in doubles (9 wins-1 loss), claiming the Most Valuable Player Trophy.
With the 28-year-old Swiss handing her nation a 1-0 advantage, the pressure leaned on former world No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz, facing off against playing captain Stan Wawrinka.
Sidelined from the tour since July 2025 due to a knee injury, the former Miami Open champion has impressed with his level, launching the new season on a high note.
With three-time Grand Slam winner Wawrinka, playing inspiring tennis as well in his farewell season, the match soon turned into an edgy contest, a battle of titans in which Hurkacz prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, barely shy of two hours.
Speaking about the former world No. 3, the 28-year-old outlined: “He’s definitely an inspiration. I was growing up watching him play, compete, and win so much.
“His game style is really powerful. The shots that he can pull off sometimes, you can really admire them even when you are on the other side of the net.”
The 1-1 scoreline meant going into a deciding mixed doubles, which saw Poland emerge as the new champions after finishing runner-up in the two previous editions.
“I’m kind of speechless. It’s really incredible,” the 8-time ATP titlist added. “Obviously, personally, but also a massive day for Poland, for Polish tennis.
“We showed how strong we are as a Polish country in tennis. To win that trophy, it tastes incredible after we came very close two times.”
He won 83 percent of the points on his first serve in his final singles match, firing 95 aces across the tournament.
Furthermore, he clinched two Top 10 victories over Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz on his way to the final.
During the trophy ceremony, world No. 2 Swiatek shared, “Finally, we made it, third time lucky. I really felt it was a team effort this year.”
Addressing her teammate, she expressed, “Hubi, what a comeback after so many months. You played amazing. You inspired us all with determination. I feel you improved every part of our game.
“Our doubles team, wow! You just beat everyone. It was amazing.”
On Saturday, Zielinski and Kawa halted top seeds Coco Gauff and Christian Harrison 7-6(5), 7-6(3), sealing the tie against Team USA to advance to the final.
Meanwhile, Switzerland overpowered Team Belgium 2-1, also securing their spot in the title match in the mixed doubles with a 6-3, 0-6, 10-5 triumph, courtesy of the inspiring duo Bencic and Paul.
Reflecting on her team’s journey, the Swiss player, a Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, commented: “This moment is so bittersweet. We can be so proud of ourselves, and we really deserve to celebrate this. It was truly one of the best weeks of my life.”
After a memorable week on Australian soil, Bencinc will return to the top 10 for the first time since April 2023.
The team venue serves as a warm-up to the season’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, which runs from January 18 through February 1 in Melbourne.