Iga Swiatek confirms the first tournament she will play in 2026 where she has finished runner-up twice

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Iga Swiatek is already planning ahead for the 2026 season after confirming her first tournament of the season.

Swiatek has been outspoken against the current tennis schedule and has suggested that players are being forced to play too much.

The fatigue she is feeling at the latter stages of the 2025 season has become apparent, with Swiatek being thrashed by Jasmine Paolini in Wuhan.

Now, with just one tournament left to play this year, Swiatek has revealed her first tournament in 2026.

Iga Swiatek confirms her participation at the United Cup

Ever since it held its inaugural edition in 2023, Swiatek has begun her season in Australia at the United Cup.

The United Cup is a mixed team event that takes place across Sydney and Perth, featuring 18 different nations.

Poland have twice been runners-up, with the USA winning the United Cup this year after beating them in the final.

Not only do Poland have Swiatek confirmed for their team, but Hubert Hurkacz is also set to be part of the lineup.

Hurkacz confirmed he had ended his 2025 season in a recent social media post, having not played since June due to a knee injury that he has since undergone surgery on.

Upon the announcement of her participation in the United Cup next year, Swiatek released a statement previewing her excitement to return to team competition.

“The United Cup is always amazing. It’s always an amazing experience and just an honour to represent your country and especially alongside such great players,” said Swiatek.

“I love being part of the team and have great memories of playing this event. This tournament is different. It brings more excitement than normal tournaments we play during the year.”

She added, “They’re [Polish fans] the best because they’re literally everywhere. In any country that we go, there are many Polish people and in Australia, there’s a big Polish community. I think they’re really committed and really believe in us, and that’s what’s most important.”

Iga Swiatek’s impressive record at the United Cup

Like with most of her tournaments, Swiatek has a very impressive record at the United Cup in both singles and doubles.

The six-time Grand Slam champion has only lost three of her 21 matches in total, with only two players beating Swiatek in singles.

Both of those are American players, with Coco Gauff beating Swiatek in the United Cup final this year, while Jessica Pegula claimed victory over her in 2023.

Swiatek will hope to continue her strong record at the United Cup this year, as she looks to guide Poland to their first title after back-to-back final defeats.

The 2026 United Cup will officially get underway on Friday, January 2.