The United Cup — the ATP Cup's successor — is returning for 2025.
National teams will be going head-to-head as some of the sport's biggest names compete in the mixed warm-up event ahead of the Australian Open.
The Sporting News takes you through the key details.
MORE: Who won the United Cup last year?
When is the United Cup 2025? Schedule, dates, venues
Just like the previous edition, the upcoming United Cup tournament will be held in two Australian cities – Perth and Sydney.
The event will begin in late 2024 and is scheduled to finish in early 2025.
The action will kick off with the group stage at Perth's RAC Arena on December 27 before Sydney host their group stage matches from December 28.
Quarter-finals are scheduled in Perth for January 1 and 2, while Sydney will host theirs on January 2 and 3.
Both semi-finals and the final will take place in Sydney on January 4 and 5.
United Cup Perth schedule
| Date | Time (AEDT) | Group | Teams |
| Fri. Dec. 27 | 1:00 pm | C | Kazakhstan vs. Spain |
| Fri. Dec. 27 | 8:00 pm | E | China vs. Brazil |
| Sat. Dec. 28 | 1:00 pm | A | Canada vs. Croatia |
| Sat. Dec. 28 | 8:00 pm | C | Greece vs. Spain |
| Sun. Dec. 29 | 1:00 pm | E | Germany vs. Brazil |
| Sun. Dec. 29 | 8:00 pm | A | USA vs. Canada |
| Mon. Dec. 30 | 1:00 pm | C | Greece vs. Kazakhstan |
| Mon. Dec. 30 | 8:00 pm | E | China vs. Germany |
| Tue. Dec. 31 | 1:00 pm | A | USA vs. Croatia |
| Wed. Jan. 1 | 8:00 pm | QF1 | Winner Group C vs. Winner Group E |
| Wed. Jan. 1 | 1:00 pm | QF2 | Winner Group A vs. Best Runner-Up |
United Cup Sydney schedule
| Date | Time (AEDT) | Group | Teams |
| Sat. Dec. 28 | 10:30 am | D | France vs. Switzerland |
| Sat. Dec. 28 | 5:30 pm | F | Australia vs. Argentina |
| Sun. Dec. 29 | 10:30 am | B | Czechia vs. Norway |
| Sun. Dec. 29 | 5:30 pm | D | Italy vs. Switzerland |
| Mon. Dec. 30 | 10:30 am | F | Great Britain vs. Argentina |
| Mon. Dec. 30 | 5:30 pm | B | Poland vs. Norway |
| Tue. Dec. 31 | 10:30 am | D | Italy vs. France |
| Wed. Jan. 1 | 10:30 am | B | Poland vs. Czechia |
| Wed. Jan. 1 | 5:30 pm | F | Great Britain vs. Australia |
| Thu. Jan. 2 | 5:30 pm | QF3 | Winner Group B vs. Best Runner-Up |
| Fri. Jan. 3 | 5:30 pm | QF4 | Winner Group D vs. Winner Group F |
| Sat. Jan. 4 | 10:30 am | SF1 | Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF3 |
| Sat. Jan. 4 | 5:30 pm | SF2 | Winner QF2 vs. Winner QF4 |
| Sun. Jan. 5 | 5:30 pm | Final | Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2 |
How does the United Cup work?
The United Cup is a mixed tennis tournament, played in a team competition format.
Eighteen countries will take part in the 2025 event, with Sydney and Perth set to host nine teams each.
Countries will be placed into six groups of three before facing off in a round-robin format.
Each tie will comprise one men's singles, one women's singles and one mixed doubles match.
The three group winners in each city will progress to the quarterfinals, joined by the best runner-up. Sydney will then host both the semi-finals and final.
As a combined ATP-WTA event, a significant amount of prize money is expected to be on offer. Last year, AU$15 million was up for grabs, as well as 1000 combined rankings points.
How are countries selected for the United Cup?
Countries for the tournament are selected from the nations of the top five men's and women's players, according to ATP and WTA rankings.
The eight remaining teams then earn entry based on combined men's and women's rankings.
There is a second qualification phase added for 2025, though. If a new player enters the top 10 (maximum 1 ATP and 1 WTA player), their team, if eligible, will be accepted, with the lowest-ranked existing team making way.
United Cup 2025: Draw, groups, nations, players
All 18 teams for this year's tournament have been confirmed, with Croatia and Argentina the last two nations to qualify.
Notably, Coco Gauff will make her United Cup debut alongside Taylor Fritz for Team USA.
Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, China’s Zheng Qinwen and Norway’s Casper Ruud have all committed, while Aussie fan favourite Alex de Minaur will also be in action.
Perth
Group A
USA
| Taylor Fritz | Coco Gauff |
| Denis Kudla | Danielle Collins |
| Robert Galloway | Desirae Krawczyk |
Canada
| Felix Auger-Aliassime | Leylah Fernandez |
| Liam Draxl | Stacey Fung |
| Benjamin Sogouin | Ariana Arseneault |
Croatia
| Borna Coric | Donna Vekic |
| Luka Mikrut | Lucija Ciric Bagaric |
| Ivan Dodig | Petra Marcinko |
Group C
Greece
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | Maria Sakkari |
| Stefanos Sakellaridis | Despina Papamichail |
| Petros Tsitsipas | Valentini Grammatikopoulou |
Kazakhstan
| Alexander Shevchenko | Elena Rybakina |
| Dmitry Popko | Zhibek Kulambayeva |
| Aleksandr Nedovyesov | - |
Spain
| Pablo Carreno Busta | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro |
| Carlos Taberner | Marina Bassols Ribera |
| Sergio Martos Gornes | Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers |
Group E
China
| Zhang Zhizhen | |
| Bai Yan | Gao Xinyu |
| Sun Fajing | Zhang Shuai |
Germany
| Alexander Zverev | Laura Siegemund |
| Daniel Masur | Lena Papadakis |
| Tim Puetz | Vivian Heisen |
Brazil
| Thiago Monteiro | Beatriz Haddad Maia |
| Gustavo Heide | Carolina Alves |
| Rafael Matos | Luisa Stefani |
Sydney
Group B
Poland
| Hubert Hurkacz | Iga Swiatek |
| Kamil Majchrzak | Maja Chwalinska |
| Jan Zielinski | Alicja Rosolska |
Czechia
| Tomas Machac | Karolina Muchova |
| Marek Gengel | Gabriela Knutson |
| Patrik Rikl | Vendula Valdmannova |
Norway
| Casper Ruud | Malene Helgo |
| Viktor Durasovic | Emilie Lindh Gallagher |
| Nicolai Budkov Kjaer | Ulrikke Elkeri |
Group D
Italy
| Flavio Cobolli | Jasmine Paolini |
| Matteo Gigante | Sara Errani |
| Andrea Vavassori | Angelica Moratelli |
France
| Ugo Humbert | Diane Parry |
| Corentin Moutet | Chloe Paquet |
| Edouard Roger-Vasselin | Elixane Lechemia |
Switzerland
| Dominic Stricker | Belinda Bencic |
| Remy Bertola | Celine Naef |
| Jakub Paul | Conny Perrin |
Group F
Great Britain
| Billy Harris | Katie Boulter |
| Jan Choinski | Yuriko Lily Miyazaki |
| Joe Salisbury | Olivia Nicholls |
Australia
| Alex de Minaur | Olivia Gadecki |
| Omar Jasika | Destanee Aiava |
| Matthew Ebden | Ellen Perez |
Argentina
| Tomas Martin Etcheverry | Nadia Podoroska |
| Thiago Agustin Tirante | Maria Lourdes Carle |
| Maximo Gonzalez | Julia Riera |
United Cup 2025: How to buy tickets
All tickets for Sydney are currently on sale via Ticketmaster.
Seats in Perth are also available on Ticketek.
What happened to the ATP Cup?
Replacing the Hopman Cup in 2020, the ATP Cup lasted just three years.
A men's-only tournament, it pitted nations together in a team competition format.
Ultimately, the ATP Cup was replaced due to the increasing cooperation between the men's and women's tennis tours — the ATP and WTA.
The significant prize pool for the United Cup reflects the backing mixed tournaments are receiving, as tennis prioritises efforts towards equality.
