Swiatek suffered a straight-set defeat to Gauff, marking her fourth consecutive loss, leaving the court with a grim expression, while coach Fissette faced renewed criticism online.

In the United Cup semifinal, Swiatek was unexpectedly swept by Gauff. After a tense handshake with a somber face, she fought back tears and barely left the court with the support of her team. Since the year-end finals in Riyadh two years ago, this former world No.1 has now lost to Gauff four times in a row, bringing their head-to-head record to 11 wins for Swiatek and 5 losses.

On the eve of the United Cup semifinal, the AI prediction system from Steve Tennis website delivered a surprising forecast: Swiatek had an 86.49% chance of winning, while Gauff was only given 13.51%. The algorithm analyzed past data, including Gauff’s recent fluctuating form, Swiatek’s dominance in crucial matches, and their 11-4 lead in previous encounters out of 15 matches.

However, sports competitions are always unpredictable. Despite the one-sided AI prediction, experienced observers began noticing subtle shifts in Swiatek’s condition.

At the start of the first set, Swiatek appeared to try to reclaim her former dominance, attempting to control the match with power and speed. Yet Gauff was well-prepared, using precise wide-angle shots to disrupt Swiatek’s signature fast-paced point construction.

In the first set, Gauff quickly found her rhythm, breaking serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. In the seventh game, Gauff’s first serve percentage dropped, allowing Swiatek to break back and then hold serve, leveling the score at 4-4. However, Gauff secured a crucial break in the tenth game to win the set 6-4.

In the second set, Gauff broke Swiatek’s serve twice in a row to open with a 5-0 lead. Swiatek saved a match point and broke back in the seventh game to make it 2-5, but Gauff broke again in the eighth game to close out the set 6-2, defeating her former "nemesis" for the fourth consecutive time.

Throughout the match, the two players demonstrated vastly different tactical developments. Gauff aimed to transform by enhancing her overall skills: expanding defensive coverage, strengthening baseline endurance, and significantly improving the consistency and penetration of her forehand attacks. Her “hexagonal warrior” traits were fully displayed in this battle. In contrast, since partnering with coach Fissette in 2024, Swiatek’s style has fundamentally changed. The former world No.1 attempted to emulate Sabalenka’s aggressive attacking style but sacrificed the stability and tactical variety she once prided herself on.

Fissette explained this transition in a recent interview: “We noticed Iga’s serve speed increasing and becoming more varied, sometimes adding topspin. We tried to introduce more variation and have her come to the net more often.” However, against Gauff’s strong defense, Swiatek lacked any transitional shots, resulting in a high number of unforced errors.

This match sparked intense discussions on social media. Many fans targeted Swiatek’s coaching team, criticizing Fissette’s coaching philosophy as unsuitable for the Polish prodigy.

“She already has a unique topspin and placement control technique but insists on adopting aggressive power hitting. Now it’s like she’s lost her own signature moves trying to imitate others,” commented one netizen.

“Swiatek used to play fast-paced points with sharp angles and top-level defensive movement, but now she’s just swinging wildly,” another added. “Attacking players tend to be tall, strong, with heavy and fast shots and good serves. Besides core strength, Swiatek doesn’t fit that profile.”

Some also said, “Fissette isn’t suited to Swiatek. Against Gauff’s solid defense, she just swings hard regardless of precision, causing many errors. Actually, Swiatek’s strengths remain her topspin and shot placement control, but now she’s trying to switch to an attacking style.”

As Gauff quietly completes her transformation from “underdog” to “dominant player,” Swiatek faces a tough decision: continue with Fissette’s offensive overhaul or return to the unique technical system that once led her to the top.

Her loss at this year’s United Cup, much like her defeat to Zheng Qinwen at the Paris Olympics, seems to mark one of the darkest moments in her career.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)