UNITED CUP Press Release, October 18, 2024

Tennis superstars Alex de Minaur, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jasmine Paolini and more will headline the third edition of the United Cup.

The exciting innovative mixed team event will be staged in Perth and Sydney from 27 December to 5 January 2025.

Seven of the world’s top 10 women and six of the world’s top 12 men have committed to the tournament after entries from the top 16 countries were revealed today.

The tournament will also feature an exciting crop of next generation tennis stars including Jack Draper, Tomas Machac, Flavio Cobolli and rising star Olivia Gadecki, Australia’s new No.1 woman.

Team USA, led by 2023 US Open champion and world No.3 Gauff and world No.6 and US Open finalist Fritz, have been named as the top seeds for the 2025 event.

Gauff, 20, who was the flag bearer for the United States at the Olympic Games in Paris, will make her United Cup debut.

Five-time Grand Slam champion and world No.1 Swiatek and (12) Hubert Hurkacz will return for Team Poland as the No.2 seeds.

Popular duo Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, both former world No.3s, will feature for third seeds Greece.

Italy, the No.4 seeds, will be guided by Paolini – this year’s  Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist – and Cobolli.

Paris 2024 Olympic Games singles gold medallist (7) Zheng Qinwen and Zhang Zhizen will headline the Chinese team.

And Great Britain, led by debutant (19) Jack Draper and (35) Katie Boulter, will complete the top six seeded countries.

Australia will be represented by De Minaur, Gadecki, Omar Jasika, Destanee Aiava and doubles stars, Olympic doubles gold medallist and world No.7 Matt Ebden and world No.13 Ellen Perez.

“I’m very excited to play, it’s going to be a lot of fun. I had some good memories this year, that’s where I cracked the top 10 for the very first time. Any chance you get to represent Australia is always a lot of fun,” De Minaur said.

“It’s something quite unique [the United Cup], you don’t do it too often, you have two singles and a mixed doubles. It’s something completely different for the fans, a lot of fun to watch and to be a part of and I’m looking forward to competing.

“The Aussie team energy is always great. We support each other, we have each other’s back. We are just there for each other. The bench is always quite loud and quite vocal and I think it brings the best out of Aussie athletes, just being in a team environment.”

Other standout entries include defending champions Team Germany, represented by world No.3 Zverev and Laura Siegemund, who led their country to victory in the decisive mixed doubles match in 2024.

Top 10 stars, Kazakhstan’s (5) Elena Rybakina, Norway’s (8) Casper Ruud, Brazil’s (10) Beatriz Haddad Maia, Canada’s (21) Felix Auger-Aliassime and (34) Leylah Fernandez, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, who returns to professional tennis after celebrating the birth of her daughter, will also all feature at the event in 2025.

LIST OF QUALIFIED COUNTRIES AND PLAYER ENTRY LIST

P= Protected ranking, J= Junior ranking, *= Doubles ranking

“It is fantastic to see seven of the world’s top 10 women and six of the world’s top 12 men enter the United Cup in 2025, in what will be a thrilling start to the Australian summer of tennis in Perth and Sydney,” United Cup Tournament Director Stephen Farrow said.

“The United Cup holds a unique position in global tennis, with the world’s best men and women representing their country at the highest level.

“The top 16 teams include some of the sport’s global tennis stars, such as Swiatek, Gauff, Zverev, Fritz, Tsitsipas, Paolini, Australia’s very own Alex de Minaur and many more who have all committed to play in this mixed team format to showcase the unique equality of tennis. 

“We look forward to the official draw next Monday to determine where each country will play across Perth and Sydney.”

The official draw will be held on Monday 21 October. Countries will be drawn into six groups of three countries.