A mixture of Grand Slam champions and Olympic medal winners will play at the United Cup in 2025, including WTA world No3 Coco Gauff and ATP world No4 Taylor Fritz headlining the USA team. But Jannik Sinner plus Carlos Alcaraz have decided not to play in the United Cup.

Everything you need to know about the 2025 United Cup

In total, seven of the world’s top 10 women’s and six of the world’s top 12 men’s players are due to take part in the 2025 United Cup – including WTA world No2 Iga Swiatek with Poland, plus ATP world No2 Alexander Zverev with Germany and No9 Alex de Minaur with Australia.

Despite the absence of Sinner and Alcaraz in Australia, the 2025 United Cup is set to deliver a wealth of entertaining matches – including pitting rivals Canada against the USA. It is also an ideal warm-up tournament for the players hoping to go on and win the Australian Open.

So, with that in mind, The Tennis Gazette looks into everything that you need to know about the 2025 United Cup as some of the best men’s and women’s stars kick off the new season.

What are the dates for when the 2025 United Cup takes place?

Play for the 2025 United Cup runs from December 27, 2024 with the first of the group stage matches through to the final on January 5, 2025. Play will also take place on each day of the 10-day tournament in Perth and Sydney but teams rarely have to play on back-to-back days.

What is the format and rules for the 2025 United Cup?

The United Cup in 2025 will adopt the format of a knockout tournament which starts with a group stage featuring 18 teams drawn over six groups. All ties will be best-of-three matches, starting with men’s and women’s singles contests followed by a mixed doubles tie if needed.

The nations at the 2025 United Cup – who must name six players, with three male and three female – will meet the other two countries in their group in a round-robin format. The group winners plus the best runner-up in the host cities, Perth and Sydney, go to the quarter-finals.

All singles matches at the 2025 United Cup will be best-of-three tiebreak sets, whilst mixed doubles matches will be two tiebreak sets with a 10-point deciding match tiebreak if one is required at one set-all. The United Cup also offers players ATP and WTA Tour ranking points.

What is the order of play for the 2025 United Cup?

The group stage at the 2025 United Cup lasts from December 27, 2024 into the New Year on January 1, 2025. Each group winner and the best two runners-up advance into the knockout stages and the first quarter-final ties follow on January 1 before the semi-finals and the final.

Full schedule for the 2025 United Cup (Time zones: AWST = Perth, AEST = Sydney):

• December 27, 2024 at 10:00 (AWST): Kazakhstan vs Spain
• December 27, 2024 at 17:00 (AWST): China vs Brazil
• December 28, 2024 at 10:30 (AEST): France vs Switzerland
• December 28, 2024 at 10:00 (AWST): Canada vs Croatia
• December 28, 2024 at 17:30 (AEST): Australia vs Argentina
• December 28, 2024 at 17:00 (AWST): Greece vs Spain
• December 29, 2024 at 10:30 (AEST): Czech Republic vs Norway
• December 29, 2024 at 10:00 (AWST): Germany vs Brazil
• December 29, 2024 at 17:30 (AEST): Italy vs Switzerland
• December 29, 2024 at 17:00 (AWST): USA vs Canada
• December 30, 2024 at 10:30 (AEST): Great Britain vs Argentina
• December 30, 2024 at 10:00 (AWST): Greece vs Kazakhstan
• December 30, 2024 at 17:30 (AEST): Poland vs Norway
• December 30, 2024 at 17:00 (AWST): China vs Germany
• December 31, 2024 at 10:30 (AEST): Italy vs France
• December 31, 2024 at 10:00 (AWST): USA vs Croatia
• January 1, 2025 at 10:30 (AEST): Poland vs Czech Republic
• January 1, 2025 at 17:30 (AEST): Great Britain vs Australia
• January 1, 2025 at 10:00 (AWST): QF1 (winners of Group C vs Group E)
• January 1, 2025 at 17:00 (AWST): QF2 (winner of Group A vs best runner-up)
• January 2, 2025 at 17:30 (AEST): QF3 (winner of Group B vs best runner-up)
• January 3, 2025 at 17:30 (AEST): QF4 (winners of Group D vs Group F)
• January 4, 2025 at 10:30 (AEST): SF1 (winners of QF1 vs QF3)
• January 4, 2025 at 17:30 (AEST): SF2 (winners of QF2 vs QF4)
• January 5, 2025 at 17:30 (AEST): Final (winners of SF1 vs SF2)

What is the draw for the 2025 United Cup?

The United Cup held the draw for its 2025 tournament in October 2024, placing each of the 18 national teams into six groups. All nations designated in groups A, C and E will play their first matches in Perth, while groups B, D and F have been assigned Sydney as their host city.

Who won the 2024 United Cup?

Germany will begin the defence of their United Cup title in Group C at the 2025 tournament from Perth after beating Poland 2-1 in the final in Sydney to win the 2024 edition. Germany also overcame Australia 2-1 in the semi-final and Serbia 3-0 in a quarter-final match in 2024.

No nation has yet defended the United Cup after the USA won the inaugural edition in 2023, as well. The USA overcame Italy with a 4-0 win to be named the first United Cup champions.

Where will the 2025 United Cup take place?

The 2025 United Cup takes place in Perth and Sydney, Australia with the six groups divided over both cities for the group stage. Perth even stages the first two quarter-final ties on New Year’s Day, before the United Cup is only staged from Sydney for the remainder of the event.

• Location: RAC Arena, 700 Wellington Street, Perth, WA 6000, Australia
• Opened: November 2012
• Maximum capacity: 15,500
• Court type: Outdoor hard

• Location: Ken Rosewall Arena, Corner of Olympic Boulevard and Shirley Strickland Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW 2127, Australia
• Opened: December 1999
• Maximum capacity: 10,500
• Court type: Outdoor hard

What is the prize money for the 2025 United Cup?

The ATP and WTA tour players representing their countries at the 2025 United Cup can win a share of the total $10m prize money, of which $5m is for participation fees. The prize money is split between participation fees (which is pro-rata based), per team wins and prize money.

Each player’s participation fee for the 2025 United Cup is initially based on them playing two group stage matches and further takes into consideration their initial team position amongst each country, as well as their ranking at the time of the deadline in which they are accepted.

United Cup 2025 participation fee breakdown

United Cup 2025 prize money breakdown

United Cup 2025 ATP / WTA Tour ranking points breakdown

How to watch the 2025 United Cup live in the USA

Fans in the USA can watch the action from the 2025 United Cup live on TV or stream online, with the Tennis Channel providing coverage in America. The Tennis Channel will start its live coverage of the United Cup on Boxing Day on December 26, 2024 at 21:00 EST (18:00 PST).

Predictions for the winner of the 2025 United Cup

Ahead of the 2025 United Cup, our expert team of writers at The Tennis Gazette have given their predictions for which country they believe will win and start 2025 strongly in Australia.

Lee Clarke: “There is a lot to like about this tournament and there are some really big stars on show. The safe money looks to be on the USA, with their team of Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz looking quite formidable.

“However, being safe is boring. So, let’s be patriotic and back the Great Britain team to go well. Jack Draper is now a top 16 player and with Katie Boulter improving all the time, there is every chance of a strong run at this year’s United Cup.”

Peter Lynch: “I think Qinwen Zheng can help push China far at the United Cup, while Alex de Minaur is expected to be in fine form for the hosts. But I’m backing Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez to have great tournaments and help fire Canada to glory.”

George Patten: “It’s hard to imagine anyone other than the United States taking home the United Cup in 2025. The inaugural champions of the event disappointed last season, but will be back for revenge in the new year.

“Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff are a formidable duo and, with the likes of Danielle Collins and Denis Kudla waiting in the wings, they’ll be tough to beat.

“Poland may be their toughest opponent, with Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz leading the line, and don’t be surprised if China produce a few shocks with Qinwen Zheng continuing the form she showed at the end of the 2024 season.”

Liam Llewellyn: “Germany enter the 2025 United Cup as the defending champions but with the strength Italy possess, having won the Billie Jean Cup and Davis Cup, they will be tough to beat. Although Italy are without the services of world number one, Jannik Sinner.

“Australia are dark horses with an in-form Alex de Minaur leading their team and they have the advantage of playing on home soil. However, the top-seeded United States team will be bolstered with the inclusion of WTA Finals champion Coco Gauff.

“Taylor Fritz also has experience of playing in and winning the United Cup before, and usually produces his best tennis when representing his country. He and Gauff will be supported by other members, such as a rested world number nine Danielle Collins, too.

“Desirae Krawczyk and Denis Kudla, who were part of the USA’s winning team in 2023, will also be involved once again – as is Robert Galloway. This USA team have what it takes to regain the United Cup title they won in January 2024.”