AO flashback: when Iga and Hubie met on the practice court

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BRISBANE, Australia – As Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz combine forces in Sydney to try to win the United Cup, we flash back to nearly a year ago.

The two didn’t practice together at Melbourne Park, but they did cross paths on the top-of-the-hour changeover. (It wasn’t as … warm and familiar as you might expect; very businesslike and matter of fact).

But when you look back, everything has changed for those two.

Notably, their coaches.

Hurkacz parted ways with longtime coach Craig Boynton and is now working with longtime Dominic Thiem coach Nicolas Massu – as well as, we’ve read, Ivan Lendl as the “one-percent” guy.

As for Swiatek, who had a fraught post-US Open with the positive anti-doping test and brief suspension, she’s now working with Wim Fissette.

It’s too soon to tell what that might bring although they did have the offseason together to plant the seeds.

“Off-season” being quite a euphemism these days.