Format, Dates, Cities: Everything you always wanted to know about the United Cup (but never had the time to find out) – updated with Bulgaria and Kazakhstan entry
Everything you need to know about the newly launched United Cup in Australia. Find out about the schedule, teams, tickets and more
Belinda Bencic and Roger Federer of Switzerland, and Serena Williams and Frances Tiafoe of the United States at the Hopman Cup in 2019
Image Credit: Imago / Panoramic
What is the United Cup?
The United Cup is a new mixed team event, a joint ATP-WTA competition involving 18 countries at the beginning of each year.
When will the United Cup be held?
The first edition of the United Cup will be held from Thursday December 29, 2022 to Sunday January 8, 2023.
Where is the United Cup being held?
The tournament will be held in three cities in Australia. Brisbane (Pat Rafter Arena), Perth (RAC Arena) and Sydney (Ken Rosewall Arena) will host the group stages, with each city hosting two groups of three countries, who will face off in a round-robin format.
The “Final Four” will be held in Sydney from Friday January 6 to Sunday January 8.
What is the format of the United Cup?
- The three cities (Brisbane, Perth and Sydney) will host two groups of three countries, competing in a round robin format
- Each tie will comprise two men’s and two women’s singles matches and one mixed doubles match.
- Group winners in each city will play off for one of three semi-final spots
- The three City champions will advance to the Final Four (semi-finals), along with the next best performing team from the play-offs.
How many teams will play in the competition?
A total of 18 nations will take part in the 2023 United Cup.
What is the qualifying criteria for the the United Cup?
The first 12 countries will qualify for the event based on the six highest-ranked men and six highest-ranked women entered as per the world rankings. The remaining six teams will qualify based on the best combined ranking of the highest-ranked man and woman from each country.
Host nation Australia will get a direct entry into the tournament either based on ranking or as a wildcard.
Which countries will take part in the United Cup?
The names of all 18 countries who will take part in the first edition of the tournament have now been announced.
The first 16 countries to make the cut were announced in early November.
On November 22, it was announced that Bulgaria and Kazakhstan have joined the line-up.
Will Russia and Belarus be allowed to play in the tournament?
Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to play in the 2023 edition as part of the ban resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
What are the groups for the United Cup?
Here is a look at the four groups for the first edition of the United Cup.
Which players are participating in the United Cup?
The tournament has attracted a star-studded line up which includes Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari (Greece), Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz (Poland), Jessica Pegula, Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe (United States), Rafael Nadal and Paula Badosa (Spain), Matteo Berrettini and Martina Trevisan (Italy), Caroline Garcia and Arthur Rinderknech (France), Nick Kyrgios, Ajla Tomljanovic and Alex de Minaur (Australia), Belinda Bencic and Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland), Casper Ruud (Norway), Alexander Zverev (Germany) and Petra Kvitova o(Czech Republic).
What is the prize money?
The tournament has a prize money purse of $15 million, split evenly between the men and women. The detailed breakdown of the prize money pool is yet to be announced.
Are ranking points given for the United Cup?
Yes. Since the event is a sanctioned ATP/ WTA event, it will offer a maximum of 500 ranking points for players on both tours.
How can I get a ticket for the tournament?
Tickets for the tournament will go on sale on November 11.
Is the United Cup a reboot of the Hopman Cup?
Like the Hopman Cup, which ran from 1989 to 2019 in Perth, the United Cup is also a mixed team event. However, the new event also offers ranking points, which the Hopman Cup did not, and includes up to four men and women from the same country, while the Hopman Cup was for teams of two players each. The United Cup is also officially part of the ATP and WTA Tour. In 2023, the Hopman Cup will return, in a new venue, Nice, with six nations.
