UNITED CUP

January 3, 2026

Mateusz Terczynski

Hubert Hurkacz

Daniel Michalski

Jan Zielinski

Iga Swiatek

Katarzyna Kawa

Katarzyna Piter

Team Poland

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome Team Poland to United Cup, a place you have had a lot of success in recent years. Talk about the team's preparation so far.

MATEUSZ TERCZYNSKI: Yeah, we have really good memories from here. We are here very few days already. We spent a nice New Year's Eve in Sydney. Everybody is getting acclimated to the conditions.

I think, yeah, we're going to be ready for Monday.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Iga and Hubie, you played a lot of matches here in past years. Did you ever have any considerations about whether playing a tour event where you might not have as many singles and doubles matches would be better preparation going into the Australian Open, or is this what you're looking for?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Well, definitely for me it's great preparation, especially after coming back, not playing for a while. Yeah, Iga, usually when she plays a tour event, she plays many matches, so...

For me, it's maybe not so guaranteed. I really enjoy the team atmosphere and to represent Poland. It's a really fun event. So for me it's definitely the best preparation.

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I did consider, because you always need to look at all the options. But I had both experiences, because I also played Adelaide before in 2022, 2021 also something as well before the Australian Open. I think both options are great.

Playing United Cup, I will always want to because the atmosphere is so much different. We get so many, like, normal tournaments on tour that honestly it gets boring sometimes.

Playing a team event and having the different energy, like being able to have a team and talk to different people than we do on tour, I think it's great. It's really refreshing. I will always choose United Cup.

Q. Iga, did you see the Kyrgios and Sabalenka match and if you had any thoughts on it?

IGA SWIATEK: No, I haven't watched, because I don't watch stuff like that.

I think for sure it attracted, like, a lot of attention. It was an entertainment, but I wouldn't say that had anything to do with, like, social change or any important topics.

I think the name was just the same as the one from the Billie Jean King match in '73. That's it. There were no more similarities because I feel like women's tennis stands on its own right now. We have so many great athletes and great stories to present, we don't necessarily need to, like, compare to men's tennis. It's a totally different story.

I think, honestly, yeah, there doesn't need to be any competition. I think actually events like this one, United Cup, brings tennis all together, and WTA fans and ATP fans can watch this event with so much excitement. Seeing also singles players that usually don't have space to play mixed doubles together, playing these kind of matches, I think this is actually what makes our sport much more interesting and better.

So yeah, I haven't watched the match. I only know about how it looked like. But I think, yeah, it was for sure nice entertainment and an XO match between these two.

Q. Jan, you're the doubles specialist on this team. Did you have any thoughts on the US Open mixed doubles and how it compares to an event like this?

JAN ZIELINSKI: I mean, I've spoken about it plenty of times already. I've always said it was a great, great event and a great event. That's what I can say.

I wouldn't necessarily call it a slam, in my opinion. Just a format to play to four games, such a small draw, the limited amount of participants just for me didn't sit right with the name calling really.

The event itself, the presentation of the mixed doubles as a sport, and everything that was around it was amazing. I totally support it. It's been happening in the past already. I think it was called Midnight Madness or something like this. For me, it just didn't sit right calling it a Grand Slam. That was my issue.

Q. Hubie, '25 was a frustrating year for you. How are you feeling physically now? Are you totally fit? How much more eager are you to get going this year after the amount of time you were on the sidelines?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Definitely feeling fit. That's the most important thing. It took a while to get to that stage and spot. Definitely, yeah, you appreciate more the things like competition, especially after this amount of time being back, trying to get back, trying to solve the problems.

Very excited to be competing again and playing the first match soon.

Q. Playing that match against Sascha. Your thoughts?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Definitely it's a great start. Sascha's been playing on, yeah, some amazing level throughout the past years. It's going to be a really good challenge to see where my level is at.

Just looking forward to it.

Q. Iga, how are you approaching 2026? Any different to previous years?

IGA SWIATEK: Not really. Yeah, I think my mentality at the beginning of the year is usually pretty much the same. The only difference was maybe 2023 when I did the mistakes of, like, thinking about the whole season already at the beginning. It totally didn't make sense. It got me tired after, like, one week (smiling).

Now I'm really thinking about it as last year, as in 2024, just thinking about one swing, only tournaments in Australia. Then after I'm done with that, I'll think about the next one.

The season is so long that so many things can happen that are out of your control that I'm just thinking about literally, yeah, the next two tournaments, and that's it.

Q. Iga, do you feel chasing to get back to No. 1 is a priority, or do you and Carlos Alcaraz have the chance to achieve a career slam at the Australian Open?

IGA SWIATEK: Of course, we have a chance. Everybody has.

Q. The point I was making is, what is more of a priority for you?

IGA SWIATEK: I don't need to choose, you know? I'm not, because I'm just focusing on my own process. Both of these things are hard to achieve and are a big goal.

Also, there is a long way to get there. On a Grand Slam you have to really play great for two weeks, not have any bad days, be consistent. Yeah, it takes a lot to win a Grand Slam.

Yeah, achieving No. 1 also is tough, especially when Aryna has been playing great for last years. Yeah, I'll just focus on myself honestly, because that's the only way to go.

I don't need to choose which one is more important, which one is a priority. I'm still young. I have, like, plenty of time to do different things and achieve different goals in my career. I really don't need to put that pressure on myself to do something in next two weeks or something.