Fritz and Gauff to spearhead US bid to clinch third United Cup crown

Third-ranked Coco Gauff and sixth-ranked Taylor Fritz will team up again as the United States defends their championship at the United Cup next week in Australia.

The only combined ATP and WTA team event will kick off the 2026 tennis season, beginning on January 2 in Perth and Sydney.

The tournament will give several of the world’s top players preparation matches ahead of the first major of the year, the Australian Open, which gets underway on Jan. 18 in Melbourne.

Eighteen teams, comprised of one ATP and one WTA player, will compete for the title.

The teams are grouped in six three-team pools that will compete in round-robin play. The top team from each group along with the best runner-up will advance to the quarterfinals.

The semi-finals and finals will take place in Sydney on Jan. 10 and 11.

All competition will take place on hard courts.

The matches will consist of an ATP match, a WTA match and a mixed-doubles match.

The US squad, led by Gauff and Fritz, defeated Poland 2-0 in 2025 final. The US also won the inaugural 2023 event, sweeping Italy 4-0 in a title match using a different format. Germany beat Poland 2-1 for the 2024 championship.

Poland will be a strong competitor with No. 2 Iga Swiatek and No. 73 Hubert Hurkacz (a former top-10 player) featuring.

The US team will compete in Group A in Perth against Argentina on Jan. 3 and against Spain on January 5.

Meanwhile, for the fourth consecutive year, Greece’s dynamic tennis duo, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari will kick off their seasons representing their national colors at the United Cup.

The powerhouse pair leads a talented Greek squad that also features Stefanos Sakellaridis, Petros Tsitsipas, Despina Papamichail, and Sapfo Sakellaridi. Since their debut in the event in 2023, Greece has been a consistent presence, with the passionate support of Australia’s large Greek community fueling strong showings. Notable performances include a semi-final finish in 2023 and a quarterfinal appearance in 2024.

“It’s always special to return to a team event—the energy is contagious,” Tsitsipas said.

“The United Cup is one of tennis’s premier competitions, and representing Greece doesn’t happen often in our sport. The Greek fans show up in full force, no matter where we play—whether it’s Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, or Sydney. Their energy gives us a psychological edge that’s hard to match.”

Tsitsipas, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, remains one of the sport’s most formidable players with his explosive game and all-court elegance.

However, 2025 proved to be a challenging year, as he dropped from No. 8 in the world in April to outside the top 30 by the end of the season, hindered by injuries. His last appearance was in the Davis Cup in September, though a standout victory in Dubai—where he claimed his 12th ATP title—reminded the tennis world of his elite potential.

Sakkari, too, faced her own challenges in 2025, with her ranking fluctuating throughout the year. She began the year seeded 31st at the Australian Open, but fell to No. 92 in May before climbing back to No. 52 after a strong finish to the season, including a quarterfinal run in Washington DC and a third-round showing at the US Open. As a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, Sakkari remains a force on the WTA circuit and continues to thrive in the United Cup mixed doubles, where she holds an impressive 4-1 record alongside Tsitsipas.

“It’s a huge advantage partnering with Stefanos,” Sakkari said, smiling. “From our very first match, our on-court chemistry was undeniable.”

The synergy between Tsitsipas and Sakkari, fueled by their deep patriotic passion, will be pivotal as Greece competes in Group E in Perth against Great Britain and Japan.

Fans can expect thrilling matchups, including Sakkari facing off against Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu and Japan’s Naomi Osaka, while Tsitsipas will take on Britain’s Jack Draper, who reached a career-high world No. 4 in 2025.

Agencies