![\"Another](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/jakup-paul-feature-united-cup-2026.jpg\")
<\/p>\n United Cup
\n Meet Jakub Paul, the Cinderella story of United Cup 2026<\/p>\n
Little-known Swiss has won all four mixed doubles rubbers with Belinda Bencic<\/p>\n
January 10, 2026<\/p>\n
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2026 Getty Images<\/p>\n
Another day, another win for Belinda Bencic and Jakub Paul at the United Cup.
\n By Paul Macpherson<\/p>\n
The United Cup<\/a> has its Cinderella story.<\/p>\n Jakub Paul<\/a>, the little-known 26-year-old Swiss, wasn\u2019t even sure he\u2019d get to play mixed doubles in the tournament. But with Stan Wawrinka<\/a> foregoing mixed doubles play early in the tournament due to back-to-back three-hour singles marathons, opportunity arose. The World No. 81 seized it.<\/p>\n Teaming with Belinda Bencic, Paul has won three deciding mixed doubles rubbers and four overall to play a key role in sending Switzerland to its first United Cup<\/a> final on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, it’s still surreal,\u201d Paul told ATPTour.com in Sydney after he and Bencic defeated singles stars Zizou Bergs<\/a> and Elise Mertens in Saturday’s semi-finals. \u201cI can’t really believe that we are in the final yet because I don’t think anyone expected this\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cBut these are the moments I practise for. We knew mixed doubles was always going to be important and Stan gave me the chance to play. So I felt I had to really be ready, give my best. Of course, I never expected to win all those four matches. Now that we’re in the final, we want to give everything and let’s go for the title.\u201d<\/p>\n Notable is how Paul has approached the challenge with the likes of Grand Slam champions Edouard Roger-Vasselin<\/a> and Andrea Vavassori<\/a> standing across the net.<\/p>\n Far from being overwhelmed by the big stage and playing for his country, he has played fearless tennis, poaching with confidence and drilling passing shots in behind opponents at net.<\/p>\n Despite being far more experienced, Bencic has empowered Paul to adopt a \u2018large and in charge\u2019 attitude on court. \u201cIt’s just amazing to see him play and how brave he is,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen Belinda tells me to go, I just go,\u201d Paul said. \u201cThat’s a bit the doubles player coming out in me. If you make a call, you have to stick to it because at the baseline she doesn’t know if I’m actually going to go or not. So it’s just better to go, and it\u2019s been working out.\u201d <\/p>\n Paul picked up the sport like many kids do, tagging along with his father and older brother to his local club in Chur. When his potential emerged, Paul relocated to an academy three hours away in Kreuzlingen, staying in the dorms and returning home on weekends.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really like change and at 13 I didn\u2019t want to move out from home but after a couple of months I managed it well and really liked it. I stayed for five years,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n At 18 he moved to Biel to practise at the Swiss Federation\u2019s training base and in the same year in his only singles appearance at a junior Grand Slam, he qualified for the US Open<\/a> boys’ event and won two rounds. That led to a meeting with Roger Federer<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\u201cATP\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1767418027_359_atp-no-1-club-banner-article.jpg\")
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