The groups for the 2026 United Cup were announced this Sunday, along with the cities where each group will compete. Several highly anticipated clashes are expected to kick off the season, including Emma Raducanu against Naomi Osaka, Casper Ruud against Jakub Menšík, and Jasmine Paolini against Belinda Bencic.
The United Cup will hold its 4th edition between January 2nd and 11th, marking the start of the season with mixed teams from 18 countries, divided into 6 groups with three countries each. The tournament is played in the Australian cities of Perth and Sydney, an attempt to generate a high-level event that starts the year and gives the world’s top players a good chance to gain rhythm before the Australian Open.
Just a few days ago, the player line-up for the event was confirmed. Iga Świątek and Hubert Hurkacz, Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz, and Felix Auger-Aliassime alongside Victoria Mboko were among the pairs confirmed in a stellar draw that will begin the season.
The definition of each group was the final piece. Groups A, C, and E will play the first part of the tournament in Perth, while the remaining three groups (B, D, F) will play their ties in Sydney. As in previous years, the winners of each group will qualify, along with the two best second-place teams—based on tie wins, matches, sets, and even games if necessary.
The defending champions are the United States, who won the title in 2023 and 2025. In this year’s final, Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz won their respective singles matches against Świątek and Hurkacz—who were runners-up for the second consecutive year. All of them will return to competition in 2026.
Perth: Defending Champions US lead the way; Raducanu vs. Osaka set for blockbuster
There will be three groups competing in Perth to start the tournament. Group A will be led by the defending champions, the United States—who appear as clear favorites for the title, being the only team featuring two Top 10 players, in addition to doubles specialists Christian Harrison and Nicole Melichar-Martinez. The Americans will face Spain—led by Jaume Munar and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro—and Argentina—with Sebastián Báez and Solana Sierra as their main representatives.
Taylor Fritz at 2025 United Cup.
Group C is anticipated to be tight, especially on the women’s side. Italy—quarterfinalists in 2025—will not feature their main male players, Jannik Sinner or Lorenzo Musetti, but will be in good hands with Flavio Cobolli at the helm, in addition to two-time Grand Slam runner-up Jasmine Paolini. They will face France, with an inspired Arthur Rinderknech and the rising Lois Boisson on the team, as well as a tricky Switzerland, with three-time Major champion Stan Wawrinka and former Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic looking for wins.
In Group E, the group will be led by Great Britain, marking the return to the tournament for Jack Draper after a 2025 marked by injuries. He will join Emma Raducanu in one of the tournament’s most exciting pairs. They will face one of the most complicated groups: Greece—who will once again line up former World No. 3s Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari—and Japan, who will feature four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, in addition to young Shintaro Mochizuki, the former Wimbledon junior champion.
Sydney: Ruud vs. De Minaur battle looms as Poland seeks first title
Things in Sydney will not be lacking in big names. Group B will have Canada as favorites to advance, with a novel pairing between Félix Auger-Aliassime and teenager Victoria Mboko—the 2025 Canadian Open champion. They will be joined by Belgium (Elise Mertens and Zizou Bergs) and a diminished China (without Zheng Qinwen unlike previous years, but who will feature Zhang Zhizhen and Zhu Lin looking to cause an upset).
Group D includes a strong team like Australia, with Alex de Minaur at the helm, in addition to one of the names promising to animate the future of women’s tennis: World No. 32 Maya Joint, who at just 19 years old became one of the breakthroughs of the recently concluded season. Among their rivals, they will have the powerful Czech team—with a solid pairing between Jakub Mensik and Barbora Krejcikova—as well as Norway, who will rely on Casper Ruud and Malene Helgo to seek a surprise in a complicated group.
Finally, Group F will feature two-time runners-up Poland—who for the fourth consecutive year will line up Swiatek and Hurkacz as a pair. They will be joined by Germany—with Alexander Zverev and Eva Lys as an exciting pair—and the Netherlands, who will trust Tallon Griekspoor and Suzan Lamens as the team leaders.
AloJapan.com