The United Cup is the mixed-gender national-team competition that opens the professional tennis season each January in Australia. Run jointly by the ATP and WTA, it puts men and women on the same national team — and, uniquely among the sport’s major team events, it awards ranking points on both tours.
What Is the United Cup?
The United Cup is a team competition in which nations field both men and women, with ties decided by a mix of singles and mixed doubles. Launched in 2023, it was created to open the season with a high-profile team event and effectively took the calendar slot once held by the Hopman Cup and, briefly, the ATP Cup. Because it is run by the two tours rather than the ITF, it operates differently from the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup — most notably in awarding ranking points.
How the Format Works
The Group Stage
Eighteen nations are drawn into six groups of three and play a round-robin within each group. Three of the groups play in one host city and three in the other, with the competition split across two Australian venues. Every team is guaranteed its group matches, and results within the group determine who advances.
The Knockout Rounds
From each host city, the three group winners plus the best-performing runner-up advance to the quarterfinals — eight teams in all. The knockout rounds then converge on a single city, which stages the semifinals and the final. That structure lets the event crown a champion inside a ten-day window while keeping group play in both host cities.
How a Tie Is Played
Each tie is decided on a single day and consists of three matches: one men’s singles, one women’s singles, and one mixed doubles. Singles matches are best-of-three tiebreak sets. The mixed doubles is played as two tiebreak sets, with a deciding 10-point match tiebreak if the teams split the first two. Nations put their top-ranked players forward in the singles, which regularly produces marquee singles matchups between the sport’s leading names in the opening days of the season.
How Teams Qualify
Entry is based on the combined ranking of a nation’s top players — its leading man and woman by ATP and WTA ranking at the entry deadline — together with the players’ commitment to compete. Nations confirm their teams ahead of the event, and the field is set once entries close. Because qualification rewards countries with strength across both tours, the lineup shifts year to year with the rankings.
Ranking Points — What Sets the United Cup Apart
The United Cup is the only major national-team competition that awards tour ranking points, with players able to earn up to 500 points. This is the central distinction from the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, neither of which contributes to the ATP or WTA rankings. It is a large part of why the United Cup consistently draws top players: it combines national-team competition with points and prize money that count toward the rest of the season.
The United Cup and the Hopman Cup
The United Cup is the modern successor to the Hopman Cup, the original mixed-team season opener. Both pair men’s and women’s singles with mixed doubles, but the United Cup is a far larger, points-bearing event built into the official tour calendar, where the Hopman Cup was a smaller invitational that has since returned only intermittently.
Why the United Cup Matters
The United Cup sets the tone for the season. It gives fans mixed-team drama and top-level singles before the Australian Open, rewards countries with depth across both tours, and — through ranking points — carries stakes that a pure exhibition would not. As one of the pillars of team tennis, it occupies the space between the individual tour and the ITF’s national championships, and its January slot has made it the sport’s de facto season opener.
Season Snapshot
(Volatile data — refresh this block only. As of mid-2026.)
- 2026 champion: Poland — first title, def. Switzerland in the final (Sydney)
- 2026 MVP: Belinda Bencic (Switzerland)
- Past champions: United States (2023, 2025), Germany (2024)
- 2026 field / dates: 18 nations, 2–11 January, Perth and Sydney (outdoor hard)
- Prize money (2026): ~US$11.8 million
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the United Cup award ranking points? Yes. It is the only major team competition that does, with players able to earn up to 500 ATP or WTA points.
How many matches are in a United Cup tie? Three, all on the same day — one men’s singles, one women’s singles, and one mixed doubles.
Where is the United Cup played? Across two Australian host cities, with the group stage split between them and the semifinals and final in one city.
How is the United Cup different from the Davis Cup? The Davis Cup is a men’s ITF event with no ranking points; the United Cup is a mixed-gender, tour-run season opener that does award points.
When is the United Cup played? In early January, opening the tennis season ahead of the Australian Open.
