On a steamy Saturday night in Sydney (January 10, 2026), Poland dethroned the defending champions United States with ice-cold nerves in the mixed doubles, booking a third straight trip to the United Cup final. After Hubert Hurkacz edged Taylor Fritz in twin tie-breaks and Coco Gauff blasted past Iga Swiatek to level the tie, it came down to Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski — and they delivered 7-6(5), 7-6(3) to knock out the top-seeded Americans.

Poland will meet Switzerland in Sunday’s championship match at 5:30 p.m. AEDT, with both nations leaning on clutch mixed doubles all week. It’s also a sweet measure of revenge for Poland, who lost to the USA in last year’s final and to Germany the year before.

“Poland won the biggest points when it mattered most.”

Hurkacz edges Fritz in tiebreaks to set the tone

Hurkacz’s serve set the early rhythm for Poland. The world-class Pole beat Fritz 7-6(1), 7-6(2), a straight-sets win that hinged on a pivotal hold at 4-5 in the first set. He stared down two break points that were also set points, held firm, and then ran away with the tie-break.

It was Hurkacz’s second Top-10 scalp of what has been called his “comeback tournament” in Sydney. Earlier in the week he took out Alexander Zverev and Tallon Griekspoor, also in straight sets. Against Fritz, he kept the rallies short, protected his delivery, and uncorked bold first strikes when the pressure peaked. The match ran about 1 hour and 35 minutes, and for most of it, Hurkacz looked unflappable.

“Hurkacz’s serve is a cheat code on these courts.”

Coco Gauff dominates Iga Swiatek to force the decider

Enter Coco Gauff with a statement. The world No. 4 and reigning French Open champion handled Swiatek 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour 23 minutes, her fourth straight win over the Wimbledon champion. It was composed, it was powerful, and it shifted the tie’s energy back to the United States.

Gauff raced to a 4-1 lead in the first set before Swiatek reeled off 12 straight points to level at 4-4. But Gauff steadied, held serve, and broke to pocket the 43-minute opener. In set two, Gauff bolted ahead 5-0. Swiatek saved three match points to avoid the bagel and clawed back to 5-2, but the American closed it out with authority. Two key games in the second set (games 2 and 4) were tug-of-wars at deuce; Gauff needed three and four break points in those games, and she got them both.

Gauff summed it up simply: “I thought I did everything well, served well, returned well. I thought it was a great match for me. I was hoping to get through in the mixed but overall there’s a lot of positives to take from today.”

Mixed doubles decider: Zielinski and Kawa slam the door

With the tie level at 1-1, the do-or-die rubber delivered tension to the last ball. Both pairs arrived unbeaten in mixed doubles this week, and the margins were razor thin. Kawa and Zielinski won 7-6(5), 7-6(3), and both sets needed tie-breaks.

The turning point came late in set two. Coco Gauff and Christian Harrison twice served for the set and led 6-5, 40/15, holding three set points. Poland refused to blink. Zielinski, playing with an ultra-aggressive mindset at the net, took time away from the Americans, and Kawa’s returns kept the pressure on. They broke back, held, and powered through the breaker to seal it.

When match point landed, Swiatek sprinted onto the Ken Rosewall Arena court to join the celebration. Poland’s bench exploded. The defending champions were out, and Poland’s long climb back to the final was complete.

“In two breakers, Poland looked like the defending champs, not the USA.”

What it means: Poland into a third straight United Cup final

This run cements Poland as the most consistent squad of the event’s early years. They were runners-up in 2024 (to Germany) and in 2025 (to the United States). Now, in 2026, they’ve avenged last year’s defeat by knocking out the top seeds in the semifinal. This time, they’ll try to finish the story.

The heroes of the tie, Kawa and Zielinski, are no one-off act either. They also won a deciding mixed doubles in the quarterfinal against Australia. In a tournament that blends the ATP and Hologic WTA Tour, that kind of chemistry under pressure is gold.

Final vs Switzerland: another mixed doubles tightrope in Sydney heat

Up next is Switzerland on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. AEDT. The Swiss advanced when Belinda Bencic and Jakub Paul claimed their fourth straight mixed doubles win of the event, beating Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs 6-3, 0-6, 10-5 in their semifinal decider. Expect the doubles to loom large again.

Conditions will matter. With Sydney temperatures forecast to soar up to 109°F (about 43°C), organizers have already moved start times up by 30 minutes. Quick holds, sharp returns, and brave net play will be at a premium as the heat bakes the court.

Event snapshot: format, dates and prize money

The 2026 United Cup is the fourth edition of the mixed-team event, running January 2–11 across Perth and Sydney. Eighteen countries compete, combining stars from the ATP Tour and the Hologic WTA Tour. There’s AUD $10 million in prize money on the line, plus valuable ranking points.

Bottom line

Poland got the job done in the most United Cup way possible: hold steady in singles, and be fearless together in mixed doubles. Hurkacz’s serve and poise, Gauff’s superb form against Swiatek, and then Kawa/Zielinski’s clutch finishing touch created a night full of tie-break tension and big-time momentum swings.

Now comes the final step. Switzerland awaits, the mercury is rising, and Poland is back on the biggest stage for a third straight year. If Saturday night is any guide, they’re ready for another nerve-test under the lights in Sydney.