United Cup capitalizes on growing popularity of tennis team tournaments

International tennis has another richer team tournament. From the 2023 season, the United Cup will be organized in Australia, a men’s and women’s tournament in which eighteen countries participate.

The United Cup is an initiative of the tennis associations ATP, WTA and the Australian Tennis Federation and seems to respond to the growing popularity of team events in world tennis.

The Davis Cup (men) and the Billie Jean King Cup (women, the old Fed Cup) have been played for many years, but the Laver Cup (Europe against the rest of the world) has now also become a fixture on the calendar tennis. .

In addition, the All American Cup will be played for the first time on November 11, 12 and 13 in San Antonio (Texas). It is a three-day meeting, modeled on the Laver Cup, between the best American tennis players from the East and West coasts.

The United Cup replaces the ATP Cup on the tennis calendar, the men’s country tournament held in Australia for three years. An important aspect for the participants: players can earn points for the world ranking of this tournament.

The United Cup has similarities to the Hopman Cup. This men’s and women’s tournament was held in Perth between 1989 and 2019, but did not count for the world rankings. Switzerland was the last winner with Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic.

This last edition also offered a great match in mixed doubles between the United States with Serena Williams and Switzerland with Federer.

The Netherlands reached the final of this tournament in 2006. At the time, the Orange had lost the final of the United States with Peter Wessels and Michaëlla Krajicek.

The United Cup begins with six groups of three countries. The three play locations, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, are each home to two groups. The group winners will then play a final match against each other for each location.

The remaining three countries and the best losing country from the last three matches then qualify for the semi-finals, which continue in the Round of 16 in Sydney (January 6-8).

The United Cup will be played from Thursday December 29 to Sunday January 8, in preparation for the Australian Open. The first Grand Slam tournament of the year begins in Melbourne on January 16.