United Cup
2024 United Cup
Tournament information
FoundedDecember 2022
Editions2
LocationBrisbane, Perth, Sydney
Australia
SurfaceHard
Draw18 teams
Prize moneyUS$10,000,000 (2024)
Current champion Germany (1st title)
WebsiteUnitedCup.com

The United Cup is an international hard court tennis competition featuring mixed-gender teams from 18 countries. The first event was held in December 2022 through January 2023.[1] The event is played across multiple Australian cities over 11 days in the leadup to the Australian Open. It is also the first mixed-gender team event to offer both ATP rankings and WTA rankings points to its players, with a maximum 500 points for the winners.[2]

History

On 7 August 2022, Tennis Australia announced that the ATP Cup, which was an international outdoor hard court men's team competition played in the Australian summer, would be shut down and replaced by a mixed-gender event from 2023.[3][4] Thus, the first edition of the United Cup directly replaced the ATP Cup (2020–2022) on the ATP Tour calendar.

Tournament

Format

The first week of the international team competition features a group phase, with six groups of three countries, which play each other in a round robin format. One group in each city plays all its ties in the morning sessions while the other plays in the evening sessions.

In the 2023 edition, the group winners in each city play off in a city final for one of three semifinal spots. This city final is played in one day across a morning and an evening session. Of the three losing teams, one with the best record up to that point becomes the fourth semifinalist. For the 2024 edition, the six group winners along with the two best runners-up of each host city advanced to the quarterfinals.

There is a travel day allocated before the semifinals and final take place in Sydney.

In the 2023 edition, the final took place on one day. In case the tie's winner is decided after the singles matches, the mixed doubles match would not be played.

In the 2023 edition, each tie consisted of five matches, with two men's singles matches, two women's singles matches, and a mixed doubles match. For the 2024 edition, each tie consists of three matches (men's singles, women's singles and mixed doubles).

In the 2023 edition, each tie was split into two sessions played in different days, with two matches in the first day and three matches in the second day- In the 2024 edition, the three matches are held in the same day.

Qualification

18 countries qualify as follows:

  • Six countries qualify based on the ATP ranking of their number one ranked singles player.
  • Six countries qualify based on the WTA ranking of their number one ranked singles player.
  • The final six countries qualify based on the combined ranking of their number one ranked ATP and WTA players.

In exchange for being the host nation, Australia is guaranteed one of the spots reserved for teams with the best combined ranking if it fails to qualify on its own.[1]

In the 2023 edition, each player had three singles specialists and a doubles specialist for each gender. In the 2024 edition, each player has two singles specialists and a doubles specialist for each gender.

Venues

Image Name Opened Capacity Location Events Map
Pat Rafter Arena 2009 5,500 Brisbane 2023
RAC Arena 2012 15,500 Perth 2023–present
Ken Rosewall Arena 1999 10,500 Sydney 2023–present

Finals

YearChampionRunner-upScore
2023  United States  Italy 4–0
2024  Germany  Poland 2–1

Results by nation

Country20232024Overall
RndW–LRndW–LAppW–L
 Argentina RR0–2 –– 10–2
 Australia RR1–1 SF2–2 23–3
 Belgium RR0–2 –– 10–2
 Brazil RR1–1 RR0–2 21–3
 Bulgaria RR1–1 –– 11–1
 Canada –– RR1–1 11–1
 Chile –– RR1–1 11–1
 China –– QF1–2 11–2
 Croatia HF2–1 RR1–1 23–2
 Czech Republic RR1–1 RR0–2 21–3
 France RR1–1 SF3–1 24–2
 Germany RR0–2 W4–1 24–3
 Great Britain HF2–1 RR1–1 23–2
 Greece SF3–1 QF1–2 24–3
 Italy F3–2 RR0–2 23–4
 Kazakhstan RR0–2 –– 10–2
 Netherlands –– RR1–1 11–1
 Norway RR0–2 QF1–2 21–4
 Poland SF3–1 F4–1 27–2
 Serbia –– QF2–1 12–1
 Spain RR0–2 RR1–1 21–3
  Switzerland RR1–1 –– 11–1
 United States W5–0 RR1–1 26–1
  • RR = Round-robin, HF = Host city final, QF = Quarterfinal, SF = Semifinal, F = Final, W = Winner

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "United Cup Explained". United Cup. Tennis Australia Limited. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  2. ↑ "Mixed-team United Cup to open 2023 season". WTATennis.com. WTA TOUR, INC. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  3. ↑ "ATP Cup axed as Hopman Cup-like event to return to Perth". The West Australian. 2022-09-07. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  4. ↑ "New $15m mixed-sex event in Australia to kick off 2023 season". Reuters. 2022-10-27. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
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