Iga Swiatek lost her second consecutive match at the United Cup against Belinda Bencic in the opening clash of the final between Poland and Switzerland.
Following Swiatek’s defeat to Coco Gauff in the semifinal, the six-time major champion was beaten again by Bencic in three sets, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.
The Swiss star produced a remarkable comeback after conceding the opening set to give her country a lead in the tie.
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Bencic‘s head-to-head with Swiatek was 5-1 in favour of the Pole heading into the match, having lost her last four bouts in the rivalry.
She finally snapped her losing streak, however, and said the difference this time around was that she played ‘freely’.
Belinda Bencic reacts to her triumph at the United Cup
In her on-court interview after the match, Bencic said: “Iga was definitely not kind to me before, it’s always a challenge playing against her, and every time I play her, I look for ways to improve and try to make her life a bit more difficult.
“I think the difference today was I played very freely, I was really enjoying myself out on the court and I was just really going for it, and yeah, of course, again, team Switzerland helped me so much to get through the line.
“Well, to be honest, I thought I was in the match from the very first point. I thought I was playing great and zero three down, and I was like, okay, like, what do I have to do?
“But I think I just tried to keep the level and just wait for some chances, wait until maybe her focus goes a little bit down. And, yeah, I’m super happy I stayed there in the second set, and I put the pressure on.
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Belinda Bencic becomes fourth to achieve United Cup feat
With her victory, Bencic is now the fourth player ever to win all of her women’s singles matches in an edition of the United Cup.
She follows Gauff in 2025, Swiatek in 2024, and Madison Keys in 2023 in the list of players to achieve the feat.
Bencic has emerged victorious in five clashes at this year’s United Cup, while dropping just two sets throughout her campaign.
The 28-year-old has defeated Leolia Jeanjean, Jasmine Paolini, Solana Sierra, Elise Mertens and Swiatek.
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