“At my best tennis, is hard for her or anyone”: Coco Gauff brimming confidence before facing Iga Swiatek

Coco Gauff is preparing to face Iga Swiatek in the United Cup final in a key match for both teams’ hopes. The American will face her toughest rival, with a negative record of 2-11, although their most recent encounter ended in a win for the American.

Both players, however, come into the match full of confidence, being the only two players in the tournament with four singles wins in this edition, unlike their male counterparts, Taylor Fritz (3-1) and Hubert Hurkacz (2-2).

Gauff talks confidence before Swiatek showdown

Swiatek and Gauff will open the series of three matches to determine the champion this Sunday, January 5th. In the semifinals, the 2023 US Open champion defeated Karolina Muchova in straight sets (6-1, 6-4) and has not dropped a set in the tournament. In her post-match press conference, Gauff shared her thoughts on facing Iga Swiatek.

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"Yeah, I'm feeling great. I felt like I was playing good today. Obviously, Iga is a tough opponent. I don't know. I haven't thought about it too much yet,” Gauff said. “But yeah, I think it's going to be a great level of tennis and super excited to go out there tomorrow and hopefully bring the Cup back home."

Despite the negative record, Gauff turned things around in their last match two months ago at the WTA Finals, where she claimed the win in straight sets. The American mentioned the key factor in securing that victory. "I think just confidence. I was very confident in Riyadh,” the world No. 3 added. “I think when I'm playing confident tennis, that's my best tennis. It makes it hard for her or anyone to really do anything. So tomorrow I'm just going to go out there and be confident.”

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As for their hardcourt encounters, Swiatek leads 6-2, though they are tied 2-2 in their last four meetings. Once the No. 2 and No. 3 players finish their match, Taylor Fritz and Hubert Hurkacz will take to the court in search of the title. If, after the two matches, the teams are still tied, a mixed doubles match will be played for the title, with both set to play.

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