Australia’s Sydney is almost boiling under a scorching 97°F, and the ruthless heat is taking a toll on players, making their performance increasingly challenging. In these conditions, former WTA number one Iga Swiatek secured another victory at the United Cup. Despite the victory, she faced issues with her physicality for the temperature. This Polish athlete’s recent match showcased her determination and highlighted the hardships players endure to fulfill their professional dreams.

Swiatek fought hard against Elena Rybakina in her singles match in the 2025 United Cup. Despite a breakdown in the opening set, this Polish star was able to turn the tides and secure a victory by 7(7)-6(5), and 6-4. While the former WTA number one’s performance stole the limelight, one more thing caught people’s attention: the warm weather of Sydney making Swiatek’s life unbearable.

An Iga Swiatek fan page shared a clip on X that showed Swiatek’s condition after a match break after the first set. Swiatek was playing against Rybakina. This former WTA number one was seen holding an ice bag on top of her head and continuously applying some medicated cream all over her hands while breathing heavily as a sign of exhaustion. Swiatek’s team members were also helping her out with the ice bag. Her condition concerned her followers, highlighting the scorching summer heat of Sydney.

Before Swiatek’s situation, Frances Tiafoe’s girlfriend Ayan Broomfield took a dig at the weather in the land of kangaroos. After arriving in the city, she shared her phone’s front screen image that showed Sydney’s UV index as 13, which is quite high. Given that the UV index should remain under five, Broomfield was surprised to see how the extreme heat impacted the city’s UV index. Like Broomfield, Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend Morgan Riddle also shared her experience in Australia’s extreme heat. However, none of the above names stood on the court for hours and played games of tennis. Therefore, Swiatek’s restless expression was quite understandable.

In fact, Switek tweaked her thigh when she played her quarterfinal match against Katie Boulter in the 2025 United Cup. She had to take a medical timeout to fix her health issues. Upon returning to the court after the break, Swiatek overpowered the Briton and led her team to victory in the two-hour and fifty-six minutes match. The WTA number two players’ medical timeout became a subject of criticism, as many players believed that it helped Swiatek win over a strong contender like Boulter. In her response, the Polish WTA star laid bare her heart and dropped her side of the statement.

Iga Swiatek confirmed not feeling well which led her to take a medical timeout against Katie Boulter

Swiatek and Boulter’s match received criticism since the Briton had performed in great form since the beginning. Interestingly, Swiatek’s form wasn’t as good as it became after the medical timeout. She was struggling with some health problems, along with Australia’s unbearable heat. However, when she took the medical timeout, she had painkillers that made her feel better and let her perform with her full spirit. After Swiatek bagged her victory against Boulter, people criticized her by saying that she took the timeout to distract the Briton. However, Swiatek responded to this allegation and said, “No, I wasn’t expecting that. I didn’t take medical timeout to throw Katie off her game. I did it because I had to and I didn’t feel well. But I took some, you know, painkillers, and they started working pretty quickly. I was able to move a bit better. But yeah, I felt that she got distracted a bit. She missed some shots right after the break, but it wasn’t my intention, obviously, like, I don’t do these kind of things to do it tactically. It was just that I needed it. So yeah.”

Iga Swiatek’s 2025 United Cup performance has been good so far. However, she had to face the wrath of Australia’s scorching heat. Despite the heat making her sick at some moments, Swiatek took charge of her performance and showed she was indomitable on the court no matter what.