WATCH: Danielle Collins shares cold handshake with Iga Swiatek after ‘insincere’ row ahead of United Cup final

Danielle Collins had accused Iga Swiatek of being 'insincere' after their quarterfinal match at the Paris Olympics.

WATCH: Danielle Collins shares cold handshake with Iga Swiatek after ‘insincere’ row ahead of United Cup final

Iga Swiatek and Danielle Collins shared weird handshake before United Cup final (Images via X)

Iga Swiatek suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the final of the United Cup as Coco Gauff, with a 6-4, 6-4 win gave Team USA a 1-0 lead. Before the final, however, the handshake of the players caught the attention of the fans.

Danielle Collins was criticized on social media because of her facial expression during her handshake with the 23-year-old. Some fans called it cold and weird as they perceived the strange handshake was a result of the controversy during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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In the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics, one of Collins’ backhands hit Swiatek on her chest and she was left struggling to breathe. The American, however, was forced to retire mid-match due to an illness.

During the handshake, Collins and Swiatek exchanged a few words and afterward, the 31-year-old claimed Swiatek was ‘insincere’ about her illness. Swiatek, who is 7-1 in their head-to-head encounter, when asked about the exchange, chose not to divulge her feelings on the situation.

The five-time Grand Slam champion said she rather wanted to praise Collins because she wanted to end her career after the 2024 season. But Collins took a U-turn and chose to prolong her career. On social media, she revealed how she’s struggling with endometriosis and fertility problems which prompted her to delay her retirement.

Aryna Sabalenka wants Iga Swiatek to win Qatar Open

While Iga Swiatek started 2025 by participating in the United Cup, rival Aryna Sabalenka claimed her first title by winning the Brisbane International with a three-set win over Polina Kudermetova.

Iga Swiatek (4)
Iga Swiatek (Image via X)

In a video shared by the WTA on YouTube, Sabalenka was asked about her predictions for the 2025 season. When asked who she thinks would reach the Australian Open final, the Belarusian said she wants to face Elena Rybakina.

The World No.1’s next answer was Iga Swiatek when asked who would win the first WTA 1000 title of the season, at the Qatar Open in Doha.

If I am not playing (laughs), I would give it to Iga.

Aryna Sabalenka said

The Pole has won the Qatar Open three times, lifting it for the first time in 2022. She then defended the title in 2023 and 2024 by beating Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina in the finals respectively. Sabalenka, who was defeated by the Pole in the quarterfinals in 2022, didn’t participate in the event in 2023 and 2024.