Who plays in the United Cup? Swiatek, Zverev, Gauff and Draper lead their countries to glory
Tennis News
The United
Cup will hold its third edition from December 27 to January 5 in Perth and
Sydney, kicking off the 2025 season. The tournament will feature 18 countries
represented by mixed teams, with major ATP and WTA stars, including Iga
Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, Jack Draper, and Zheng Qinwen.
This will
be a great opportunity for players to build momentum and earn some points
before the Australian Open, with a maximum of 500 points available. A total of
seven of the top-10 women and six of the top-12 men will compete for glory for
their countries.
United Cup returns for third edition with exciting mixed teams
The
qualification system considered the five highest-ranked male players and the
five highest-ranked female players. Additionally, eight other teams joined
based on the combined rankings of their top two singles players. The tournament
will be played in six groups of three countries each. These will be distributed
across two venues: the RAC Arena in Perth and the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney.
Each tie
will be decided similarly to the Billie Jean King Cup and the Davis Cup, with
two singles matches (ATP No. 1 and WTA No. 1 players), and if necessary, a
decisive mixed doubles match. The winners of each group will qualify, along
with the best second-place finisher in each city.
The United
States will present its two best players of the moment: Taylor Fritz and Coco
Gauff, the only team with two players inside the top-5. Other teams with
high-ranking entries include Poland with Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz, and
Greece with Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari.
Other
interesting pairs to watch will be Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah
Fernandez, Italians Jasmine Paolini and Flavio Cobolli, Britons Jack Draper and
Katie Boulter, and the Chinese Zheng Qinwen and Zhizhen Zhang.
In the 2024 edition, the champions were Germany, with
Alexander Zverev and former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber, who retired mid-year.
This time, 'Sascha' returns to the tournament as the highest-ranked male
player, but he will have a new teammate as the No. 1 WTA, since Laura Siegemund
(who was an alternate for the team this year) will be the female leader of the
team.
Group stage
| Group | First Seed | Second Seed | Third Seed |
| A | United States | Canada | Croatia |
| B | Poland | Czech Republic | Norway |
| C | Greece | Kazakhstan | Spain |
| D | Italy | France | Switzerland |
| E | China | Germany | Brazil |
| F | Great Britain | Australia | Argentina |
Entry list teams
| Nation | No. 1 ATP | Rank | No. 1 WTA | Rank |
| United States | Taylor Fritz | 4 | Coco Gauff | 3 |
| Poland | Hubert Hurkacz | 16 | Iga Świątek | 2 |
| Greece | Stefanos Tsitsipas | 11 | Maria Sakkari | 32 |
| Italy | Flavio Cobolli | 32 | Jasmine Paolini | 4 |
| China | Zhang Zhizhen | 45 | Zheng Qinwen | 5 |
| Great Britain | Jack Draper | 15 | Katie Boulter | 24 |
| Canada | Félix Auger-Aliassime | 29 | Leylah Fernandez | 31 |
| Czech Republic | Tomáš Macháč | 25 | Karolína Muchová | 9PR (22) |
| Kazakhstan | Alexander Shevchenko | 78 | Elena Rybakina | 6 |
| France | Ugo Humbert | 14 | Diane Parry | 63 |
| Germany | Alexander Zverev | 2 | Laura Siegemund | 82 |
| Australia | Alex de Minaur | 9 | Olivia Gadecki | 96 |
| Brazil | Thiago Monteiro | 109 | Beatriz Haddad Maia | 17 |
| Spain | Pablo Carreño Busta | 18PR (196) | Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro | 54 |
| Norway | Casper Ruud | 6 | Malene Helgø | 403 |
| Switzerland | Dominic Stricker | 94PR (301) | Belinda Bencic | 15PR (481) |
| Argentina | Tomás Martín Etcheverry | 39 | Nadia Podoroska | 99 |
| Croatia | Borna Ćorić | 90 | Donna Vekić | 19 |
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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