United Cup 2026 Draws Global Stars into Team Battles
Entries reveal a powerhouse lineup for the season's opening mixed-teams event, where national loyalties sharpen individual edges on Australian hard courts, setting the stage for rivalries that blend strategy and shared ambition from January 2 to 11.
The United Cup assembles 18 nations for its fourth edition in 2026, pulling five of the world’s top 10 men and four top 10 women into a format that fuses singles precision with doubles urgency. From Friday, January 2, to Sunday, January 11, teams of up to three men and three women converge in Perth and Sydney, where the fast hard courts demand quick adaptations and collective focus. Two-time champions Team USA claim the top seed, returning to defend their title under the leadership of world No. 3 Coco Gauff and world No. 6 Taylor Fritz, whose partnership promises a blend of explosive retrieval and baseline power to navigate early group pressures.
Poland enters its fourth appearance with six-time Grand Slam champion and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek guiding alongside Hubert Hurkacz, a duo whose combined rankings position them strongly amid the field's depth. Swiatek's heavy topspin forehands will test the surface's pace, while Hurkacz's booming serves add firepower, supported by Daniel Michalski, Jan Zielinski, Katarzyna Kawa, and Katarzyna Piter for rotational depth. Germany's pursuit of a second title hinges on world No. 3 Alexander Zverev spearheading with newcomer Eva Lys, where his inside-out forehands could dictate rallies, backed by Patrick Zahraj, Kevin Krawietz, Laura Siegemund, and Mina Hodzic.
“The entry list for the United Cup this summer is world class. We’re excited to welcome five of the world’s top 10 men and four of the world’s top 10 women in 2026,” United Cup Tournament Director Stephen Farrow said. “The United Cup holds a unique position in global tennis, with the world’s best men and women committed to play in mixed teams and showcase equality in the sport. We look forward to the official draw next Monday to determine where our 18 countries will play across Perth and Sydney. It will be fascinating to see where the likes of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz and Jasmine Paolini end up competing. With AO 2019 and 2021 champion Naomi Osaka also leading Team Japan in its United Cup debut, the star power in 2026 is undeniable. Add to that Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu for Great Britain, and Stan Wawrinka and Belinda Bencic for Team Switzerland, and fans in both cities are in for an absolute treat.”
Debuts ignite new national narratives
Team Japan steps onto the stage for the first time, with four-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka pairing with 2019 Junior Wimbledon champion Shintaro Mochizuki, a matchup that carries Osaka's hard-court punch into team dynamics alongside Nao Hibino and Yasutaka Uchiyama. Her groundstrokes, built for penetrating returns, face the intimacy of national representation, while Mochizuki's agility hints at upset potential in early ties. This entry amplifies the event's emotional undercurrents, as Osaka's return from hiatus meets the crowd's expectant hum in Sydney.
Italy's squad gains momentum from world No. 8 and 2024 Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini, joined by rising star Flavio Cobolli, whose speed could fuel crosscourt exchanges on the moderate bounce. Paolini's defensive tenacity, sharpened on clay, adapts through one–two combinations, with Andrea Pellegrino, Andrea Vavassori, Nuria Brancaccio, and Sara Errani providing versatile support. Their lineup evokes the relief of shared stakes, lightening the solo grind of recent major finals.
Great Britain refreshes with world No. 10 Jack Draper and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, injecting lefty serve angles and all-court versatility into ties backed by Billy Harris, Lloyd Glasspool, Mingge Xu, and Olivia Nicholls. Draper's net approaches pair with Raducanu's inside-out winners, channeling resilience amid injury echoes and breakout surges. The duo's energy promises to stir arenas, turning group volatility into a platform for renewed confidence.
Veterans anchor familiar pressures
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka reunites with world No. 11 Belinda Bencic for Switzerland, their seasoned calm tempering the calendar's dawn through Wawrinka's slice backhands and Bencic's precise returns, supported by Jakub Paul, Luca Castelnuovo, Celine Naef, and Naima Karamoko. This pairing draws on past team synergies, using down-the-line shots to vary tempo against aggressive foes. Their presence underscores the psychological recharge of collective play, where experience buffers early-season doubts.
The popular duo of former world No. 3s Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari returns for Greece, blending drop shots and grinding defense with Stefanos Sakellaridis, Petros Tsitsipas, Despina Papamichail, and Sapfo Sakellaridi. Tsitsipas's inside-in forehands disrupt patterns, easing the isolation of circuit travel through sustained partnership. As they gel, the group's baseline rallies could build unshakeable momentum in decisive rubbers.
World No. 8 Felix Auger-Aliassime fronts Canada with rising star Victoria Mboko, her hard-court speed adding edge to Alexis Galarneau, Cleeve Harper, Kayla Cross, and Gabriela Dabrowski. Auger-Aliassime's serve-volley transitions demand focus across rotations, framing a top-10 ascent bolstered by national ties. Their setup highlights tactical unpredictability, where Mboko's depth forces adjustments in women's matchups.
Home advantage sharpens Australian edge
Australia rallies its home favorites around world No. 7 Alex de Minaur and the nation’s new top-ranked woman, world No. 32 Maya Joint, with Jason Kubler, John-Patrick Smith, Maddison Inglis, and former world No. 1 doubles player Storm Hunter completing a deep roster. De Minaur's relentless coverage thrives under local cheers, deploying one–two punches to counter power, while Joint's emergence injects aggression into baselines. The doubles expertise, led by Hunter, sets up underspin lobs to control tempo in Perth's electric atmosphere.
Standout entries round out the field, including Czechia’s Barbora Krejcikova with teammate Jakub Mensik—the youngest player in the world’s top 20—alongside world No. 12 Casper Ruud for Norway and China’s Zhizhen Zhang and Zhu Lin. Belgium fields Zizou Bergs, Kimmer Coppejans, Sander Gille, Elise Mertens, Greet Minnen, and Lara Salden; France brings Arthur Rinderknech, Geoffrey Blancaneaux, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Lois Boisson, Leolia Jeanjean, and Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah; Spain features Jaume Munar, Carlos Taberner, Inigo Cervantes, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Andrea Lazaro Garcia, and Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers. Argentina's group includes Sebastian Baez, Marco Trungelliti, Guido Andreozzi, Solana Sierra, Maria Lourdes Carle, and Nicole Fossa Huergo, while the Netherlands deploys Tallon Griekspoor, Guy Den Ouden, David Pel, Suzan Lamens, Eva Vedder, and Demi Schuurs.
Team USA's supporting cast—Taylor Fritz with Mackenzie McDonald, Christian Harrison, Varvara Lepchenko, and Nicole Melichar-Martinez—bolsters depth for doubles poaching on quicker surfaces. Gauff's extended points neutralize serves, positioning the seeds to dictate pacing amid the psychological lift of defense. As qualification locks via November 10 rankings, with seeding by combined tops and final commitments by November 11, the draw on November 17 assigns groups of three across cities.
Watch the draw live from 12.00pm AEDT on the official tournament Facebook page, as these squads prime for clashes where team bonds forge sharper individual resolve, echoing into the Australian swing's broader battles.
