Swiatek insists 'everything is fine' after back-to-back defeats

SYDNEY — Iga Swiatek insists "everything is fine", despite back-to-back losses in the lead-up to the Australian Open, with the world No 2"super sore", but confident of recovering for the season-opening Grand Slam.

The Polish star crashed out 3-6,6-0, 6-3 to Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in the mixed-teams United Cup final in Sydney on Sunday, which came on the back of a lackluster 6-4, 6-2 defeat to Coco Gauff in the semifinals.

A shellshocked Swiatek lost seven games in a row against Bencic, including a rare set to love, with a racket toss and tears at the end of the match summing up her frustration.

It was uncharacteristic for the sixtime Grand Slam winner, who rarely loses consecutive matches.

She most recently did so at the WTA Finals in Riyadh in November, falling to Elena Rybakina and Amanda Anisimova. Before that, her previous back-to-back defeats were in 2021.

"Everything is fine," she said after the final, which Poland won 2-1 courtesy of Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski clinching the deciding mixed doubles.

"Just super sore. I guess first tournament of the year, it hits the body a bit differently than during the season. But I had similar experience last year also.

"I'll just get a good recovery, a couple of days off.

"Also, I know these team events. I love them, but they really take a lot of energy from you. I still need to figure out how to balance that, maybe, in the future."

Swiatek, who picked up solid wins over Eva Lys, Suzan Lamens and Maya Joint before meeting Gauff and Bencic, admitted she dropped off physically in the second set against the Swiss.

"I think it was a mix of me losing the intensity, and I wasn't feeling so sharp with my movements and my legs. I wasn't so precise physically, I would say," she said.

With the Australian Open starting at Melbourne Park on Sunday, Swiatek has little time to iron out her technical issues after 36 unforced errors to Bencic's 10 on Sunday.

"We're going to work now to improve some elements that didn't work this week," she said.

"Still, there's not a lot of time for that if I also want to have some recovery days. This is how tennis is. You've got to go with the flow. We'll see."

The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam title to evade the 24-yearold, who has made the semifinals twice but has never gone further.

In 2025, she lost in the last four to eventual champion Madison Keys.

Sabalenka fires warning

Meanwhile, world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka warmed up for a tilt at a third Australian Open title in four years in ominous fashion, winning her second successive Brisbane International crown on Sunday.

Sabalenka posted a dominant 6-4,6-3 win over Marta Kostyuk in just 78 minutes.

"Every day you go out there and prove your level, and I think this week I did it really well," said Sabalenka after a tournament in which she powered to the title without dropping a set.

Looking ahead to the Australian Open, which begins this coming Sunday, Sabalenka said: "The only thing I know is that I'll be there, I'll be fighting."

Salablenka lost in the Melbourne Park final last year to Keys, having been Australian Open champion in 2023 and 2024.

"I'll do my best to go as far as possible," said Sabalenka. "And do a little bit better than last year. That's my focus."

Kostyuk, the world No 26, had enjoyed a spectacular week, beating three top-10 players on her way to the final.

But she had no answer to the power of Sabalenka and the Ukrainian's serve, so reliable in the early rounds, also went off the boil.

Sabalenka was rarely troubled on her own delivery and faced only three break points.

The 27-year-old Belarusian said she had tried to introduce new elements to her game so she wasn't relying just on power, and that had paid off this week.

"I finally found the touch game," she said.

"I figured something and I kind of changed my game style — now I'm not only an aggressive player, I can play at the net, I can be in defense, I can use my slice, I have a good touch.

"I'm super happy to see that things are clicking together."

There has been animosity between the two players in the past.

Like many Ukraine players, Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with Russians or Belarusians. Thus, there was no handshake at the end of the Brisbane final.

Sabalenka said she wasn't concerned by Kostyuk's attitude towards her.

"It's their position, what can I do?"

"When I go out there, I think about my tennis and the things I have to do to get the win," she said.

"It doesn't matter if it's Marta Kostyuk or Jessica Pegula there. I have nothing to prove.

"I go there and I just compete as an athlete."

AFP