Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Coco Gauff is adamant there’s no bad blood between her and former world No.1 Iga Swiatek over a brief, frosty handshake between the pair during the United Cup final between the United States and Poland.
Describing her opponent’s reaction at the net after Gauff’s 6-4, 6-4 victory to kick off the mixed teams event final as a “heat of the moment type of situation”, the world No.3 American said she and Swiatek had talked it through later.
The handshake moment between the players.Credit: Tennis TV
Gauff’s hard-fought victory over her rival at the United Cup final in Sydney laid the foundation for countryman Taylor Fritz to step up for his singles match against Hubert Hurkacz and close out the tie 2-0. The US won the United Cup for the second time in three years.
Gauff was quick to downplay any ongoing resentment between the pair.
“Obviously, we had a moment but, no, we talked about it afterwards, and it was nothing personal,” Gauff said in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open.
Gauff explained that players only rarely play teams events and the dynamics of representing your country might have contributed to the situation. She noted that Poland would have been desperate to grab the title.
“It was a heat of the moment type of situation and I felt like as tennis players, we’re not used to playing for our country,” said Gauff, winner of the 2023 US Open.
“And that was my first time playing the United Cup.
“It meant a lot to us to win, but it probably would [have meant] even more for them to win.
“It was just … ‘we wanted to win bad, they wanted to win bad’. You know, healthy competition.”
After closing out her match point chance, Gauff made a digging motion gesture to her teammates courtside before approaching the star Pole at the net.
“I got the shovel out,” Gauff explained afterwards about her celebrations and how she’d “dug deep” to secure the win.
Coco Gauff celebrates her match point.Credit: Tennis TV
That victory helped Gauff put a significant dent in her lopsided head-to-head record against Swiatek, an opponent who has beaten her at Roland-Garros three times including in last year’s semis.
Notably, it was Gauff’s second consecutive victory over Swiatek after also beating her at the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia before the American won the title. The 20-year-old improved her head-to-head record against Swiatek to 3-11 – a much better ledger for two players in the world’s top five.
“I never really focus on it [head to head] except maybe her. If you play someone and lose so many times, you have that thought in your head,” she said.
“It [now] definitely gives me more confidence on court against her.”
The Florida-based Gauff is desperate to secure another major win after her breakthrough victory at the US Open a year-and-a-half ago.
“For me, it would mean a lot,” she said.
“I want to get that second slam under my name.
“I mean I’m a hardcourt girl, so I love hardcourt. My best results are on hardcourt.”
Gauff’s win at the WTA Tour finals in Saudi Arabia in November is already among her career highlights. She was the youngest winner of the lucrative event in 20 years.
She said that leading into the opening major of 2025, she was feeling as comfortable as ever on court.
“I feel very confident in my game,” Gauff said.
“It’s probably the most I felt since being on tour. And I think the results are showing that.
“And how I feel on the court, sometimes you’re losing, and you feel like you have no solutions. [But now] I feel like I always have solutions whether I execute them or not.
“That’s where I feel with my game now – I feel confident in it.
“Also, I’m giving myself grace, knowing that it’s not possible to play great tennis every day. So you work hard enough to hope that it becomes more consistent – more consistent good days than bad days.”
Watch all the Australian Open action live on Nine, 9Now and Stan from Sunday, January 12.
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