Iga Świątek with a very honest confession. “I was afraid…”

The runner-up in the WTA ranking will be the strongest card in the ranks of the Polish national team. Iga Świątek returns to the game for good, after a forced suspension related to a positive anti-doping test.

Iga Świątek talks honestly about her concerns after the doping scandal

The case resolved by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ended with the finding that an illegal substance was found in the Polish woman’s body due to contamination of the drug, specifically melatonin. Świątek uses it regularly, e.g. for sleep problems. Contamination by the manufacturer is therefore mainly the fault of the manufacturer, not the tennis player herself.

During the press conference of the Polish team before the United Cup 2025, the Pole returned to that difficult moment. Additionally, she referred to what she was afraid of after the official announcement of the confusion with the positive anti-doping result.

– I was afraid that most people would turn away from me. I think the reaction was more positive than I expected. Most people understand the situation and know that I had no influence on what happened (…) Of course, there will be some negative comments and you cannot avoid it. I just have to accept it and honestly, I don’t care – admitted Świątek, quoted by WP/SportoweFakty.

United Cup 2025. When exactly will the Polish national team play?

Poland will play in the United Cup 2025 group competition in Sydney. The national team will face Norway (Monday, December 30) and the Czech Republic (Wednesday, January 1). The competition will take place in women’s singles, men’s singles and mixed doubles. The match against Norway will start at 7:30 a.m. Polish time, with a clash between Świątek and Malene Helgo. Next, Hurkacz will face Casper Ruud (9:30). The mixed doubles are scheduled for 11:30.

As for the Poland-Czech Republic match, it will start at 0:30 with the match between Hurkacz and Tomas Machac. Then Świątek vs. Karolina Muchova (2:30) and around 4:30 mixed. The matches will be shown on Polsat Sport and online, among others. via the Polsat Box Go platform.

In the case of the history of the United Cup, Polish tennis is doing quite well. Two finals have been played so far, and one of them – last year’s (2023/24) – featured the Polish national team. Ultimately, Świątek and Hurkacz lost to the German team, represented by Angelika Kerber (lost to Świątek), Alex Zwieriew (won to Hurkacz) and doubles Laura Siegemund / Alexander Zwieriew (defeated by Świątek/Hurkacz duo). In the premiere edition, the USA crushed Italy 4-0 in the final.

The following people will fight for success in the United Cup: Iga Świątek, Alicja Rosolska, Maja Chwalińska, Kamil Majchrzak and Jan Zieliński. The team captain will be Mateusz Terczyński.