United Cup
Nicholls/Skupski deny Osaka-led Japan at United Cup with help from ‘Timeout Tim’
Great Britain opens with win, will face Greece on Monday for top spot in Group E
January 04, 2026
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Olivia Nicholls and Neal Skupski seal United Cup victory for Great Britain over Japan on Sunday in Perth.
By ATP/WTA Staff
Olivia Nicholls and Neal Skupski held their nerve to complete a dramatic victory against Japan on a rollercoaster day for Great Britain at the United Cup.
Sunday began with the news of Emma Raducanu’s withdrawal from the WTA singles match against Naomi Osaka in Perth, but it ended with Great Britain celebrating a hard-earned 2-1 triumph in their Group E opener. In between, Billy Harris downed Shintaro Mochizuki in the opening singles rubber before Osaka overcame Katie Swan to force a mixed-doubles decider.
Nicholls and Skupski edged Nao Hibino and Yasutaka Uchiyama 7-5, 4-6, 10-7 in a one-hour, 46-minute nailbiter to secure victory for their country. The closing stages also featured tactical use of a timeout from both captains: Japan’s Go Soeda called one before Nicholls served at 6/5, and Skupski promptly netted an easy volley on the following point. Henman then returned the favour by calling a timeout of his own with Briton leading 7/6, and his doubles pair subsequently reeled off back-to-back mini breaks before going on to clinch the tie.
“It was instigated by the Japan team. They went first, but it was certainly on the radar once we got into that deciding tie-break,” revealed Great Britain captain Henman in his on-court interview. “The spirit has been so good since we arrived in Perth. Their work ethic and the camaraderie has been absolutely outstanding. My request was for them to go out there and enjoy the challenge and compete for every point.”
Skupski added: “Obviously it was a very up-and-down tie-break. Both captains brought out the time out, and I was a bit confused when it all happened, but extremely proud to get through that moment. It’s a great win for GB.”
Nicholls and Skupski, along with the rest of their British teammates, will now prepare for Monday’s clash with Team Greece in Perth. The winner of that tie will qualify for the quarter-finals as the winner of Group E, while Japan is eliminated.
“Unbelievable. We had amazing support from the crowd,” said Nicholls. “I’ve actually got family here who I’m staying with in Perth this week which is making it even more special. We’ve had amazing team spirit this week. I’ve really enjoyed being part of this team, so it’s just incredible to get the win.”
MADNESS IN PERTH 🤯 pic.twitter.com/3Fk5tqWswl
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 4, 2026
Osaka was originally slated for a second career meeting with Raducanu, but a late lineup change handed her a new challenge in 26-year-old Swan.
Osaka passed the test, though not without complications, defeating Swan 7-6 (4), 6-1 in one hour and 53 minutes. It marked Osaka’s first career match win at the United Cup and the first in Team Japan’s history, with the nation making its event debut this year.
“Just fighting, no matter what the score was,” said Osaka when asked what she was most pleased with. “I’ve never played her before and she’s a really tough opponent. And to have one of the first matches of the year is definitely really tough, but I’m glad to be back here. I haven’t been here since 2017, so thanks for having me.”
Osaka’s serve set the tone, as she won the first 10 points on her serve and 11 of the first 12. By match end, the former World No. 1 had won 78 per cent of her first-serve points and struck six aces. The performance from the service line provided a crucial cushion given her early struggles on return, as she converted just one of 10 break points in the opening set.
Despite the loss, the match will stand as a career highlight for Swan, who has endured repeated injuries and setbacks. Despite the adversity, she entered the contest with 16 ITF singles titles — including four in 2025 — and was a girls’ singles finalist at the 2015 Australian Open.
Swan competed in the inaugural United Cup in 2023, going 2-1 in singles with wins over Nuria Parrizas Diaz and Zoe Hives, while losing to Madison Keys. Her last WTA Tour main-draw win came at the event, while her most recent tour-level main-draw appearance had come at Wimbledon in 2023, where she lost to Belinda Bencic.
The Briton battled throughout Sunday’s match, showing resolve from the opening game. She earned the first break of the match for a 4-3 lead in the first set and saved the first eight break points she faced, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to avoid a winner-take-all mixed doubles match.
Osaka broke back to level at 5-5, claimed the first-set tiebreak 7/4 and then pulled away in the second set.
“[Winning the first set] was definitely really important,” Osaka said. “And just, I guess for my confidence, trying to just build more. So yeah, I definitely appreciated winning the first set for sure.”
Harris had earlier settled British nerves in the wake of Raducanu’s morning withdrawal with a rock-solid 7-6(4), 6-3 triumph against Mochizuki. The 30-year-old quickly handed his team a welcome boost with an impressive triumph against a player 29 spots above him in the PIF ATP Rankings.
“Great atmosphere… It got me through the match,” said Harris in his on-court interview. “A lot of Brits out here. Great to get the first win for the team. Some shaky bits in there, but I managed to close it out there in the end, so I was happy with that.”
Harris initially rallied from 3-5 in the opening set against Mochizuki but then failed to serve it out at 6-5. The Briton promptly delivered a rock-solid first-set tie-break showing, however, to capitalise on the inconsistencies of the World No. 99 Japanese.
With frequent motivational calls from his captain Tim Henman on the team bench, Harris completed his one-hour, 50-minute win after claiming the only break of the second set in the fourth game. It was his first tour-level triumph since he defeated Dusan Lajovic at Wimbledon last July.
“Having Tim on the bench, it’s great having advice from someone like that, so you are listening every changeover and those little bits of advice can make a difference,” said Harris.
Mochizuki was chasing Japan’s first match win of the 2026 United Cup after it fell 0-3 to Greece on Friday. However, his efforts were undermined by a wayward performance from the baseline: the 22-year-old produced 19 unforced errors in the first set alone and made just 40 per cent (27/68) of first serves overall, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
AloJapan.com