Before the long and winding individual season begins on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz, here is a pleasant, palate-cleansing burst of co-ed camaraderie.
It’s the United Cup, with 18 teams battling it out in Sydney and Perth. Iga Swiatek is a big, big fan.
“Playing United Cup, I will always want to because the atmosphere is so much different,” Poland’s World No. 2 explained. “Playing a team event and having the different energy, like being able to have a team and talk to different people than we do on tour, I think it’s great, really refreshing. I will always choose United Cup.”
Swiatek has further reason to feel good about Monday’s opening tie against Germany. She’s beaten Eva Lys all three times they’ve played, winning all six sets — and dropping only seven games. Hubert Hurkacz and Alexander Zverev meet in the men’s match. The Group F title could be at stake.
Last year, Swiatek and Hurkacz led Poland to the United Cup final, where they fell to the United States.
Like Swiatek, Lys looks forward to her time Down Under.
“There’s always a reason I come here pretty early for preseason,” Lys said. “I love the country. I love the people. Every time I feel comfortable on and off the court. I just play my best tennis.
“I feel like it’s the best start to me into the season, especially with the United Cup. I feel like we have a great team. Yeah, I’m very excited for the next days.”
Swiatek is trying not to get ahead of herself, the way she did several years ago.
“The only difference was maybe 2023 when I did the mistakes of thinking about the whole season already at the beginning. It totally didn’t make sense. It got me tired after, like, one week.
“The season is so long that so many things can happen that are out of your control that I’m just thinking about literally, yeah, the next two tournaments, and that’s it.”
The first tie features Czechia versus Norway. Perhaps the biggest question is the physical condition of Barbora Krejcikova after playing only 36 matches a year ago and suffering through a variety of ailments. She’ll play Malene Helgo for the first time ever.
Krejcikova says she’s been given a clean bill of health.
“I’m happy that I can be here, happy that I’m healthy, that I can play some tennis,” she told reporters in Sydney. “Really excited and looking forward for the competition.”
Jan. 5 schedule, Sydney, Ken Rosewall Arena
Group D: Czechia (0-0) vs. Norway (0-1)
Start Time: (10:30 a.m. local, 2:30 a.m. ET)
Women’s singles: Barbora Krejcikova vs. Malene Helgo
Men’s singles: Jakub Mensik vs. Casper Ruud
Mixed doubles: Krejcikova and Mensik vs. Ulrikke Eikeri and Ruud
Group F: Germany (1-0) vs. Poland (0-0)
Start Time: (Not before 5 p.m. local, 4 a.m. ET)
Women’s singles: Eva Lys vs. Iga Swiatek
Men’s singles: Alexander Zverev vs. Hubert Hurkacz
Mixed doubles: Laura Siegemund and Zverev vs. Swiatek and Hurkacz
Gauff looking to help U.S. advance
As her singles ranking began to rise, Coco Gauff stepped away from playing doubles regularly with fellow American Jessica Pegula. But, as she proved in the United States’ opening win against Argentina, Gauff hasn’t forgotten how to play the two-person game.
After defeating Solana Sierra 6-1, 6-1 (in 57 minutes), she joined forces with Christian Harrison to beat Argentina in straight sets to secure a 2-1 win. Gauff and Harrison had never played together, and she was extremely nervous.
“Then I remind myself I had had good results in doubles, winning the Slam [2024 Roland Garros with Katerina Siniakova] and being No. 1, yeah, twice,” Gauff said. “I was telling myself, reminding myself of that on the court. I was, like, ‘Don’t forget who you are.’
“Yeah, honestly, I was, like, kind of hyping myself up. Whenever I play mixed, I feel like the worst player on the court most times.”
Highlights: Gauff dismisses Sierra to bring U.S. level at United Cup 2026
Monday’s opponent for the United States is Spain, 0-1 after a 3-0 loss to Argentina. Gauff and Jessica Bouzas Maneiro have never played.
The evening match features Great Britain opposite Greece — a pair of 1-0 teams playing to represent Group E in the quarterfinals.
Great Britain was a 2-1 winner over Japan on Sunday when Olivia Nicholls and Neal Skupski won a thriller over Nao Hibino and Yasutaka Uchiyama 7-5, 4-6, 10-7. Earlier, Billy Harris handled Shintaro Mochizuki and Katie Swan — filling in for Emma Raducanu — lost to Naomi Osaka.
Raducanu struggled with a foot injury at the end of 2025 and wasn’t quite ready to go. According to captain Tim Henman, “She’s been practicing in London, really only doing static drills, to be out on the practice court and moving and playing games. She is very close.
“In terms of tomorrow, it’s still a little bit up in the air. Look, I’m very happy whoever plays.”
Greece looked sharp in a 3-0 opening win over Japan.
Based on that result, captain Petros Tsitsipas likes Greece’s chances.
“Yeah,” he said, “especially after getting six sets to love. That’s very important for the qualification, even as a second team. We obviously want to make the first spot. That’s our goal.”
Maria Sakkari, who earlier dispatched Naomi Osaka, takes on Emma Raducanu.
“I was very surprised with Maria’s level,” Tsitsipas said. “She produced some very consistent and flashy tennis at times. She has improved a lot in her offseason. It’s obvious. I’m very excited to see her play against Raducanu. I think it’s going to be a hell of a matchup.”
Jan. 5 schedule, Perth, RAC Arena
Group A: USA (1-0) vs. Spain (0-1)
Start Time: (10 a.m. local, 9 p.m. ET)
Women’s singles: Coco Gauff vs. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
Men’s singles: Taylor Fritz vs. Jaume Munar
Mixed doubles: Gauff and Christian Harrison vs. Bouzas Maneiro and Munar=
Group E: Great Britain (1-0) vs. Greece (1-0)
Start Time: (Not before 5 p.m. local, 4 a.m. ET)
Women’s singles: Katie Swan or Emma Raducanu vs. Maria Sakkari
Men’s singles: Billy Harris vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas
Mixed doubles: Olivia Nicholls and Neal Skupski vs. Sakkari and Tsitsipas
Jan. 5 schedule Brisbane International
Ten women’s matches are set for Monday at this WTA 500 event, which will fill out the 16 second-round matches featuring the seeded players.
Of particular note: Three-time Brisbane champion Karolina Pliskova faces off against Hailey Baptiste. Five qualifiers will also be in action.
PAT RAFTER ARENA starts at 11:00 AM
[WTA] [WC] K. Birrell (AUS) vs [Q] R. Sramkova (SVK)
[ATP] NB 1:00 PM [3] J. Lehecka (CZE) vs T. Machac (CZE)
[ATP] A. Popyrin (AUS) vs [Q] Q. Halys (FRA)
[ATP] NB 6:30 PM [1] D. Medvedev vs M. Fucsovics (HUN)
[WTA] T. Maria (GER) vs [WC] E. Jones (AUS)
SHOW COURT 1 starts at 11:00 AM
[ATP] V. Vacherot (MON) vs S. Korda (USA)
[WTA] [Q] O. Gadecki (AUS) vs A. Li (USA)
[WTA] Ka. Pliskova (CZE) vs H. Baptiste (USA)
[ATP] NB 4:30 PM R. Opelka (USA) vs [Q] D. Sweeny (AUS)
[WTA] D. Yastremska (UKR) vs [WC] T. Gibson (AUS)
SHOW COURT 2 starts at 11:00 AM
[WTA] [Q] S. Zhang (CHN) vs A. Krueger (USA)
[WTA] [Q] A. Bondar (HUN) vs C. Bucsa (ESP)
[WTA] [Q] A. Sasnovich vs A. Blinkova
[WTA] T. Valentova (CZE) vs A. Kalinskaya
[WTA] M. Vondrousova (CZE) vs M. Frech (POL)
Jan. 5 schedule ASB Classic
In Auckland, New Zealand, seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams takes the court with Elina Svitolina for a doubles match against Alexandra Eala and Iva Jovic. Williams accepted a singles wild card and will play Magda Linette in a future first-round match.
Sloane Stephens, the 2017 US Open champion, also accepted a wild card. After going 0-6 in 2025, she’ll face Renata Zarazua.
No. 2 seed Emma Navarro opens her tournament against Francesca Jones.
CENTRE COURT starts at 11:30 AM
[3] I. Jovic (USA) vs [Q] G. Knutson (CZE)
[7] Xin. Wang (CHN) vs C. McNally (USA)
A. Eala (PHI) / I. Jovic (USA) vs [WC] E. Svitolina (UKR) / V. Williams (USA)
NB 6:00 PM F. Jones (GBR) vs [2] E. Navarro (USA)
[WC] S. Stephens (USA) vs R. Zarazua (MEX)
GRANDSTAND starts at 11:30 AM
P. Udvardy (HUN) vs S. Bejlek (CZE)
[Q] S. Costoulas (BEL) vs [Q] W. Osuigwe (USA)
[Q] K. Quevedo (ESP) vs [8] P. Stearns (USA)
[Q] S. Kraus (AUT) vs J. Grabher (AUT)