UNITED CUP

January 5, 2023

Agnieszka Radwanska

Dawid Celt

Iga Swiatek

Hubert Hurkacz

Magda Linette

Daniel Michalski

Team Poland

Press Conference

Team Poland - 3

Team Italy - 2

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Aga, I might ask you first, tonight this was the person that won was going to progress to Sydney, it went down to a live mixed doubles rubber. We haven't had that before in Brisbane this week. You guys came out on top with the victory and will go to Sydney. How exciting was it to do it in this way, in the atmosphere in center court when it was full like that?

CAPTAIN RADWANSKA: Well, for sure, it was very exciting. A long day for all of us. Well, of course we tried to do it a little bit earlier than in the last minute, but I think guys did amazing job in the last match. Actually, didn't have a heart attack at least in this last match. But, well, I'm so happy with the team effort and to watch the best tennis players on court do a really great job.

Of course we are so happy to go to Sydney. Well, still in, so let's try our best there.

Q. Hubert, you and Iga were going out tonight to play the live mixed doubles rubber. Tactically, were you guys confident? You've now started to play together a couple of times. How was it? What was it about your combination tonight that dominated against the Italians?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Well, I think, you know, it was Iga. No, but, yeah, she was just playing really amazing and she was returning Lorenzo's serve really powerful, and that was helping a lot to put some pressure on the net. There wasn't a lot of tactics there.

Q. Iga, that's funny that Hubi says it was all you. Does your role in the team, you're the No. 1, you qualified Poland for this competition, and you even said on court before, I'm the youngest, I'm not sure why I'm speaking, but you were speaking. I guess you were expected to win your matches as the World No. 1. I guess maybe there's a little bit of pressure on you as the figurehead of the team. Do you like that role in the team and having to step up and lead Poland that way?

CAPTAIN RADWANSKA: She had no choice (laughter).

IGA SWIATEK: Well, I don't consider myself a leader, you know. I just want to show my best game on court, and this is what I know the best, and this is what I know how to do, you know.

But, yeah, as you said, yeah, I'm the youngest. Well, Magda, for example, or Hurkacz or Ali and Aga, obviously, they've been on Fed Cups and Davis Cup for so many years that they know actually, I don't know, a little bit better how it is to be in the team and have that baggage on your shoulders on court.

I'm still kind of getting used to it, but, you know, I also got used to the pressure, especially last year.

I'm trying to cut it off on my matches to just focus on my game, and it's going pretty well. Hopefully I'm going to be able to do that on my next matches.

But I feel like honestly it's team effort. I don't feel like I needed to, you know, carry that much. I just wanted to play my singles matches really in a solid way. On mixed I knew I'm not also the one that experience, so I could play with low expectations and it really worked today.

Q. You've all won many big matches alone in singles matches, sometimes doubles. How cool was it that it came down to mixed doubles to decide the whole time here in Brisbane?

IGA SWIATEK: Well, at one point, yeah, it's really cool. It's a different format. It's really exciting.

But on the other hand, I don't know, when I'm going on singles, I know that I have like full control sometimes, you know, over what's gonna happen. Here I play against men. So I just know that it's tougher to kind of know...

HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, and I can mess up a little bit (laughter).

IGA SWIATEK: From my perspective, I didn't know how I'm gonna cope with like change of the rhythm between playing against girl and the next point playing against men, you know.

But, well, just having Hubi winning on service games and also like putting pressure when I'm serving on the net, and, you know, his reach is so huge that basically he can get any volley. It's giving me a lot of confidence, as well. I just felt like today we can just pair up as tennis and not worry about the score.

Q. Hubi, just sort of the same question, especially after the singles, how fun was it to come back on the court with Iga and do that in really a team format?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Well, I mean, thanks to Magda we were playing for something there. You know, Iga and Magda played some amazing tennis on their singles matches. Yeah, it was fun, you know, to be playing mixed doubles with Iga, to try to win the tie against Italy.

Yeah, I think it was, yeah, different experience, because we are playing mixed doubles to go to Sydney, and, yeah, not used to playing mixed doubles. Second time in my life.

Yeah, but, yeah, Iga is, you know, really playing great. We are having fun on the court, and the team brought a lot of energy, as well. So, yeah, we really enjoyed it.

Q. Magda, Hubi touched on it before, but you came into your match tonight having to win to keep Poland alive. What was that experience like? Because you seemed to play excellently, and you're building up quite a great record when you play for Poland. How did it feel to like rise to that challenge?

MAGDA LINETTE: Yeah, I was used to it from the Billie Jean King Cup. I knew the girl. I just tried to be as focused as I can on myself, not really the general score get into my head, and just go out there and try to do my job as quick as possible. I really did.

I was really happy I was just able to mentally separate those two things. Just use my team for my energy but still keep those two things separate.

Q. Daniel, how have you found this United Cup experience and being part of this team?

DANIEL MICHALSKI: First of all, I would like to thank and congratulate my team, Iga, Magda, Hubert, for great matches. Because of you, we are in the semis or trying my best. Unfortunately I didn't get any match yet. Hopefully yet. Yeah, it's a great team, huge experience for me. Yeah, really fun week.

Q. Aga, what are the plans heading into Sydney? Are you looking forward to going to Sydney now?

CAPTAIN RADWANSKA: Of course. I have myself very nice experience from there, so very happy to be back there. Of course the matches after tomorrow, so not much time to do anything, but, you know, we are ready to go, and, yeah, we will see from there.