Emma Raducanu & Jack Draper team up: British stars set for United Cup debut in 2026

Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper will unite for Team Great Britain in the upcoming 2026 United Cup. The British No. 1s will have an unprecedented pairing—teaming up for the first time—in what is also the debut of both players in the tournament.

It will be a great opportunity for both players to start the season with a tournament that allows them to quickly get into rhythm, especially after both ended their seasons early due to injuries.

It will be a fresh pairing: over the last three years, Cameron Norrie and Billy Harris were the ones who took to the court for the men's side, while Harriet Dart and Katie Boulter were the female players who took the lead.

“I am excited to get back on court and compete in the United Cup, I’ll be looking out for the draw to see if Team GB will play in Perth or Sydney,” Draper said, in what will be his first official competition leading into 2026. “I haven’t been to either, so it will be nice to compete in a brand new city in Australia.”

“I’m honoured to be able to make my United Cup debut in January,” the 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu said. “Being able to play for Team GB with my teammates is a unique opportunity and week to enjoy. It’s great to be able to experience a new format on the tour, represent my country and spend a couple extra weeks in Australia.”

Raducanu ended her season after suffering physical problems in China, experiencing dizziness due to the high temperatures, and later posted a photo from a doctor's office. The former US Open champion fell in the first round of the Ningbo Open against Anna Li, in a difficult match, and finished her run on the Asian swing with a 2-4 record – accumulating consecutive first-round defeats in Beijing and Wuhan.

On the other hand, Jack Draper has not competed for several months, and in the last four months was only available to play Wimbledon (second-round defeat) and the US Open (pre-second-round withdrawal). The Brit was comfortably inside the top-5 for the first half of the year, but ended up falling in the ranking due to his lack of continuity and few tournaments played, also clearing the ATP Race – where, despite several months without competition, he remains 9th, with good chances of finishing the year in the top-10.

Tournament Director Stephen Farrow welcomed the confirmation of the British players Draper and Raducanu for this year's lineup. “Equally, to see British No.1s in Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu line up for the first time will bring new star power to the tournament,” he said. “In 2025, Team Great Britain reached the quarter-finals after navigating a tightly contested group stage in Sydney."

“They opened with a strong 2-1 win over Argentina and, despite a narrow loss to Australia in their final group tie, advanced on set percentage in a three-way tie to top Group F and book their spot in the knockout rounds,” he added. “With the level of talent and intensity we saw last year, fans can expect even more drama and world-class tennis this summer.”

Great Britain has not yet had great results in the United Cup, where they have lamented the absences of their best players. Last year they reached the quarter-finals – despite Draper withdrawing at the last minute due to a hip injury. The Brits advanced to the quarter-finals after leading the group stage against Argentina and Australia, making the difference only by the number of sets won. However, they ended up falling to Poland, led by Iga Świątek and Hubert Hurkacz.