Sponsored by Tennis Australia
By James Dampney
Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Ash Barty headlined the players leaving the professional-tennis circuit this year, although Williams left the door slightly ajar to return, and the spotlight now turns to who will replace them in 2023 and beyond.
We get our first glimpse at the inaugural United Cup mixed team event being held in three cities across Australia, starting December 29.
Eyes are on the tennis world to see who will become the next star.Credit:Tennis Australia
Players represent their countries in teams of up to eight, with each tie featuring two men’s and two women’s singles matches plus a mixed-doubles clash. Rankings points and prize money is on offer in the US$15 million event.
While world No.2 Rafael Nadal, Petra Kvitova and Stan Wawrinka are among those competing, the next generation will also be there, including Iga Swiatek, Hubert Hurkacz, Belinda Bencic and Casper Ruud.
Norwegian world No.3 Ruud reached both the singles finals at the US and French Opens this year to soar up the rankings and was highlighted by tennis great and current broadcaster Todd Woodbridge as one to watch closely.
“You’ve got the likes of Casper Ruud competing at the United Cup, he hasn’t been seen much in Australia yet and is coming off an enormous year, runner-up twice in the majors,” Woodbridge said.
“Look at Poland, they’ve got world No.1 Iga Swiatek and [10th-ranked] Hubert Hurkacz, who is very capable of upsets in big tournaments. Their number-two players are solid as well.
“You don’t necessarily think about Poland being a world-champion-calibre team, but they’ve got that opportunity at this event.”
They are just a fraction of the top-line players set to feature at the United Cup, which is being staged at venues in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, and replaces the ATP Cup.
There are 18 teams competing and the draw made on November 10 produced some exceptional match-ups. Among the standouts, Nadal and Nick Kyrgios will meet in a group featuring Australia, Spain and Great Britain.
Eighteen teams from around the world are set to compete at the upcoming United Cup.Credit:Tennis Australia
The US, Germany and the Czech Republic form another high-level group, with Taylor Fritz versus Alexander Zverev and Jessica Pegula against Kvitova among the expected contests.
Overall, three of the world’s top-four men and women are contesting the event.
Other stars to watch on the men’s side at both the United Cup and throughout 2023 are Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, Italian Matteo Berrettini, the returning Zverev, and American duo Fritz and Frances Tiafoe.
“Look at the United States, they’re a strong team with Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, ranked nine and 19 in the world [respectively],” Woodbridge said.
“Tiafoe made a breakthrough at grand-slam level reaching the semis [at the US Open]. These are the guys we’re talking about. This is their time.
“Another one coming back after his major injury is Alexander Zverev, who was just starting to play his very best tennis when he went over on his ankle at Roland Garros.
“Zverev, Fritz and Tiafoe, Kyrgios, Tsitsipas, Ruud – on the men’s side it’s a pretty incredible playing group. I think it’s a really exciting time.”
In terms of the women competing, Swiatek claimed French and US Open titles in 2022 to emerge as a clear world No.1.
But she will have plenty of top competition at the United Cup from the likes of world No.3 Pegula, France’s fourth-ranked Caroline Garcia and Australian Ajla Tomljanovic.
Tomljanovic had one of the most high-profile victories of the year when she ended Serena Williams’ US Open tilt, and most likely her career, en route to the quarter-finals.
She also reached the last eight at Wimbledon and is sitting at a career-high No.33 in the rankings.
“The standout for Australia in terms of the year was Ajla Tomljanovic, two grand-slam quarter-finals, plus what she showed she could do against Serena,” Woodbridge said.
“It’ll be a bit tougher to come back to Australia now. There will be a bit of expectation from all of us and she has to deal with that.”
The United Cup runs from December 29 through to the final in Sydney on January 8.
