During the opening match of the 2025 tennis season, BEATRIZ HADDAD MAIA had to resort to underhand serves while battling considerable pain.

This new season began in Australia this week, with countries competing in the United Cup.

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In Perth, Brazil went head-to-head with China, with Haddad Maia facing Gao Xinyu in the first match.

The Brazilian, ranked No. 17 and 158 spots above her opponent, was viewed as a strong favorite.

However, like many of Haddad Maia’s encounters, it turned into a challenging three-set duel.

The 28-year-old secured the first set 7-5, but Gao came back to claim the second 6-4, leveling the match.

In the third set, Haddad Maia started to suffer from intense cramping.

While leading 4-3 in the eighth game, she experienced such pain that serving overhand became a struggle.

At one point, she tried to execute her usual serving motion but could not finish it due to the agonizing cramps.

As cramping is viewed as a conditioning problem rather than an injury, players are prohibited from calling for a medical timeout.

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Consequently, Haddad Maia had to endure the pain, receiving treatment during changeovers, ultimately losing the game after being broken back to 4-4.

Gao, 27, also dealt with her physical issues, seen sporting strapping on her left knee.

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In the end, Gao clinched the match 7-5 in the third set after three hours and 22 minutes, making it the longest women’s match ever seen at the United Cup.

Haddad Maia has gained notoriety for frequently engaging in exhausting matches.

Tennis author Bastien Fachan noted that this was her 15th match that has exceeded three hours since 2022.

Following Haddad Maia’s defeat to Gao — who played only because Olympian Zheng Qinwen withdrew — Thiago Monteiro was tasked with facing Zhang Zhizhen to keep Brazil’s chances alive.

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The second match contrasted starkly with the first, yet ended the same way, as China’s Zhang triumphed over Monteiro 6-3 6-0 in just 56 minutes, sealing the tie.

Since the United Cup utilizes a round-robin format, the final mixed doubles match was held for potential tiebreaker situations in the future.

China completed a clean sweep, with Zhang partnering with Zhang Shuai—who is not related—to defeat Carolina Alves and Rafael Matos 6-4 7-5 in one hour and 18 minutes.

Brazil is scheduled to return to action tomorrow against Germany.

It remains unclear if Haddad Maia will be fit enough to play after her grueling match against Gao.

Meanwhile, China is set to face Germany in the Monday night session.

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