The world’s best tennis players are preparing for thrilling match-ups at the fourth edition of the United Cup, the innovative mixed team event set to take place in Perth and Sydney from Friday 2 to Sunday 11 January 2026. Eighteen nations were drawn into six groups of three teams at the official ceremony, attended by icons Wally Masur and Jelena Dokic, with Casey Dellacqua and Matt Ebden also present at RAC Arena in Perth.

Perth groups revealed

Defending champions Team USA headline Group A as top seeds and will return to Perth led by world No.3 Coco Gauff and world No.6 Taylor Fritz. They will face Spain and Argentina in the group stage.

Team Italy, seeded third, will be guided by world No.8 Jasmine Paolini, a finalist at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2024, alongside rising star Flavio Cobolli. They will meet Team France and Team Switzerland, featuring Stan Wawrinka and world No.11 Belinda Bencic, in Group C.

Group E will showcase Team Great Britain with world No.10 Jack Draper and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. They will battle Team Greece, led by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, and debutants Team Japan, spearheaded by four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and 2019 Junior Wimbledon winner Shintaro Mochizuki.

Sydney set for high drama

In Sydney, world No.5 Felix Auger-Aliassime and teenage talent Victoria Mboko lead Group B as the No.2 seeds. They will face Team Belgium and Team China.

Group D features host nation Australia, led by world No.7 Alex de Minaur and world No.32 Maya Joint, the country’s new top-ranked woman. They will compete against Team Czechia and Team Norway, led by Casper Ruud.

Group F will see 2024 champions Team Germany, fronted by world No.3 Alexander Zverev and debutant Eva Lys, take on Poland’s world No.2 Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz, as well as Team Netherlands.

Organizers highlight the event’s significance

United Cup Tournament Director Stephen Farrow emphasized the unique nature of the competition.

“We’re extremely proud of this competition for what it represents and celebrates, the fact that our great sport of tennis is played by so many amazing athletes on both the female and male side of the sport,”

Farrow said.

“To bring those athletes together to play for not just big ranking points and prizemoney but for their country and national pride is what makes this competition so special. It’s an intense and exciting atmosphere with loads of fans coming to watch. Some of the top players in the world, truly engaged and wanting to win out there on court in Perth and Sydney. We have a huge amount to look forward to in January.”

Local leaders welcome the United Cup

Western Australian Tourism Minister Reece Whitby expressed his excitement about hosting the event.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome such a talented lineup of tennis teams to Western Australia. I’m extremely excited we’ll be hosting USA and Italy for massive tennis matches that will serve up another incredible year of major events for the State,” Whitby said.

“Events like the United Cup build on WA’s status as a premier destination for major sporting events, spotlighting our vibrant capital city in the beautiful summertime. Returning for a fourth year, the United Cup is a fantastic event that forms part of our economic diversification strategy to draw visitors to our State and inject millions of valuable tourism dollars providing a boost to local business and jobs.”

NSW Minister for Sport and Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper also highlighted Sydney’s role.

“As the host city of the tournament’s biggest matches, the United Cup is one of the most anticipated events in Sydney’s packed summer of sport, offering fans a rare opportunity to watch the world’s best tennis players compete for their country,” Kamper said.

“The electric atmosphere of Ken Rosewall Arena created by passionate fans from across the globe is a truly unique experience that will again showcase Sydney as one of the world’s great stages for international sport.”

Tickets and schedule

The tournament schedule will be released on Tuesday 18 November. Group stage tickets will go on sale from 12.00pm local time Wednesday 19 November in Perth and Sydney, with adult tickets starting from $40 and children’s tickets from $20.