United Cup lineups: Swiatek returns for Poland, Draper and Raducanu poised to make debut as de Minaur set to commence new partnership

With the 2026 campaign right around the corner, players are preparing for the start of next season. This commences with the United Cup, with a number of big names confirming their participation. It includes last year's finalists Poland, with Great Britain and Australia putting forward exciting teams.

The United Cup is a unique event to kick off the year. Players will team up and represent their country in a mixed-gender tournament after replacing the men's only ATP Cup. Held in Australia, Perth and Sydney are the two host cities splitting the action between them. It commences with a group stage, with it leading through to a knockout tournament onwards. Each tie includes one men's singles match, one women's single match and if the tie is level, a deciding doubles match. The incentive for players is that it also offers ranking points, with 500 points going to the winners. This is crucial ahead of the first Grand Slam of the year in Australia, with many of the players wanting to climb as high as possible.

The Polish team made up of Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz came so close to triumphing last year but could not get over the line after a successful tournament. After coming out of their group thanks to a brace of doubles matches, they blew Great Britain and Kazakhstan away in the quarter-finals and semi-finals ahead of a matchup against the USA team, staring Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz. The duo would defeat their Polish opposition in a tight encounter to back up their success in 2023, also against Poland.

They are determined for revenge and can once again fall back on the services of six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek. While maybe not at her highest standards this year, she has still proved to be exceptional at times on court, specifically at Wimbledon where she destroyed anyone in her path enroute to the title. She is currently competing in the WTA Finals, already picking up a win over Madison Keys in ominous fashion. Her best game will be needed if Poland are once again going to go deep.

She will team up with Hurkacz in the singles once more, with the 28-year-old looking to comeback from injury with a bang Down Under. After Roland Garros, the 28-year-old underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery, thus forcing him to sit out the rest of 2025. However, his return looks to intertwine with the United Cup, with the former world number six able to return to the court for his country.

Great Britain will travel to Australia with a very strong team for next year's United Cup. Last year, they had Katie Boulter and Billy Harris representing them in the singles. This year, it will be the British number one's Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper, who similar to Hurkacz is looking for a positive return to the court.

He was forced to miss the rest of 2025 after withdrawing from his second-round clash at the US Open with an arm injury the problem. He has had time to think and prepare on what he is going to do next year, and he has opted for the Untied Cup as preparation ahead of the Australian Open. He will team up with Raducanu, who will both play in this event for the first time. A couple of months ago, Raducanu rejected the chance to represent her country in the Billie Jean King Cup after deciding to focus on her own career. After a slightly disappointing Asian swing marred at the end by injury, she will be hoping for success with Draper.

Despite the fact they are hosts, the United Cup is an event that Australia have not had a lot of success in. A semi-final appearance in 2024 is sandwiched by failures to exit the group. This was despite having the current world number six Alex de Minaur in their ranks. This year, he will be boosted by the very talented Maya Joint as they look to put smiles on the home crowd's faces.

The 19-year-old has just experienced a marvellous season. With two WTA titles in Rabat and Eastbourne, the Aussie has proven that she can compete with the best. She will represent Australia once more after first playing for them in the Billie Jean King Cup earlier this year. She will be partnered by a very experienced teammate in the form of de Minaur, who is going to be a handful for anyone who faces off against him.

These three nations are boasting very strong teams, with all of them eyeing-up glory. The event kicks off on 2nd January 2026, and culminating 11th January.