For the second year in a row, Australia’s top-ranked tennis player Alex de Minaur and his partner Katie Boulter, England’s number one ranked women’s player, will face off in the United Cup this January. 

However, this year there will be an added layer to the rivalry, with the pair announcing their engagement this week after almost four years of publicly dating on the tennis circuit.

De Minaur and Boulter wrote on Instagram: “We’ve been keeping a small secret.”

They drew congratulations from fellow tennis stars Ajla Tomljanović, Emma Raducanu, Paula Badosa and Thanasi Kokkinakis, who wrote “About damn time”.

The mixed teams event in Sydney begins late December — with Australia first facing Argentina on December 28 — and Australia and Great Britain meeting on New Years Day.

The clash will likely determine who progresses from group F to the knockout stages.

When asked how he felt about the match-up this week, de Minaur said with a smile, “Not my ideal kind of interesting.”

Boulter, in a similar vein, told Sky Sports: “I wouldn’t say I was thrilled at the idea of playing him all over again.”

“Obviously, he’s a top-10 player and he knows how to play tennis. So, there’s one side of it, and there’s a personal side of it as well, which is difficult. But [the match is] also great for bragging rights,” she said.

“It’s a very unique situation and something that I’m not that used to. 

“We’ll just try to handle it the best we possibly can, and I’ll be supporting him every single time from the box for the rest of the year.”

Boulter said she knew de Minaur would be cheering for her projected opponent Olivia Gadecki, while he will face Brit Billy Harris.

The pair could very well find themselves facing off in mixed doubles, though pairings are not confirmed until the day of the match.

The event will kick off the new tennis season, which de Minaur wants to use as a springboard for a successful 2025.

De Mainur said the week-long tournament was “extremely important” in preparing for January’s Australian Open at Melbourne Park, where he reached the quarterfinals of last year.

“It’s great coming at the start of the year and basically tuning right from the start,” de Minaur said ahead of the United Cup.

“I’ve been blessed with playing some of the best players in the world at the start of the year, and it is the perfect way to get ready for the Australian Open and seeing where your level’s at.”

The Australian star had a turbulent 2024. 

He finished with a career-high No.9 world ranking, but had to withdraw from his maiden Wimbledon quarterfinal showdown with Novak Djokovic and the Paris Olympics with a hip injury.

While also battling the injury through the ATP Finals, de Minaur won two tournaments in 2024, the Libema Open in the Netherlands and the Acapulco ATP 500 title.

“There’s been a lot of highs and a lot of lows, with the injuries,” he said.

“More than anything it’s just given me a lot of hunger to build for better things.

“This whole preseason I’ve been motivated because I want more. I want to keep pushing myself and hopefully I can accomplish that this year.”