Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka confirm starting points for 2026 season in road to Australian Open

The season at least in the WTA is very much only just done with the WTA Finals taking place with Coco Gauff among those involved in the tournament. But she will soon be back in action very soon after the starting point of her 2026 season was confirmed.

Gauff usually plays the ASB Classic in Auckland during the first week of the year and snubs the United Cup but this changed during 2025 with the American deciding to play the event which she won. She defeated Iga Swiatek 6-4, 6-4 in the final and was her only tournament prior to the Australian Open. She will play the event between January 2-11 this next year and will start her year at the tournament.

Others have often taken a different route with Rybakina and Sabalenka playing Brisbane and Adelaide. The former did play United Cup this time around but won't this year.

Albeit Gauff will be the only top name in the US women's tandem with Varvara Lepchenko instead being the second name on the teamsheet. The same can be said for the men's though with Taylor Fritz decidingly leading the charge again. Danielle Collins did play the tournament last year. But it is also Mackenzie McDonald and doubles specialists Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Christian Harrison.

It was Gauff's debut in the event this past year and it was an instant success meaning she has now decided to return. In 2026, Japan makes its debut and Naomi Osaka will also make her opening appearance of the season in the tournament. She represents her country alongside Shintaro Mochizuki. Like Gauff often does, it was Auckland for Osaka to start the year. She was up a set in the final before retiring due to an abdominal injury versus Clara Tauson.

Iga Swiatek will also play the tournament in a move that has been long confirmed. This means that Pegula will also play elsewhere as will Anisimova, Sabalenka, Rybakina among others during the opening week of the year. Some may decide due to the truncated nature of the off season to even skip the first week entirely and play towards the Australian Open but it remains to be seen.

Swiatek in particular will get the work in early after a short break playing in exhibitions over Christmas. While the World Tennis League is still yet to be announced and often features a lot of the top names in the lead up to the Australian Open in December.

“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.

“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."