Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek headline inaugural United Cup entries; Garcia, Tsitsipas, Kyrgios also confirmed

Set to launch the 2023 season across three Australian cities, the mixed team competition—which replaces the previously-staged ATP Cup—saw nine Top 20 players from each tour confirm their participation in the official entry list released Thursday. Seeds were also announced, with Greece leading the way at No. 1 thanks to the standout duo of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari.

Poland is right behind at No. 2 with WTA world No. 1 Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz. Spain, featuring Nadal, Paula Badosa and Pablo Carreño Busta, and the United States, boasting Jessica Pegula, Taylor Fritz, Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, round out the Top 4 seeded nations.

Additional players of note include WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia, German No. 1 Alexander Zverev, Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka and Belinda Bencic, and two-time Wimbledon title holder Petra Kvitova. Reigning Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios joins Alex de Minaur and Ajla Tomljanovic in representing the green and gold on home soil.

Could these two champions find themselves on opposite sides of the net next season Down Under?

Advertising

Serbia, Tunisia and Canada are three of the notable absences on the initial list, though two spots remain up for grabs for admittance to complete the 18-country field based on rankings published November 21—one ATP and one combined. It was previously shared that players from Russia and Belarus, who have competed under a neutral flag since March 2022 as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, were not permitted to enter. This position is in line with the ITF's response suspending Russia and Belarus from its international team events, including the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.

The United Cup draw determining round-robin groups and ultimately which teams are headed to Sydney, Perth and Brisbane took place later Thursday afternoon. The break down:

Group B (BRISBANE): Poland, Switzerland, TBD
Group E (BRISBANE): Brazil, Italy, Norway
Group A (PERTH): Belgium, Greece, TBD
Group F (PERTH): Argentina, Croatia, France
Group C (SYDNEY): Czech Republic, Germany, United States
Group D (SYDNEY): Australia, Great Britain, Spain

Competitors are vying for $15,000,000 in prize money and up to 500 ranking points. The round-robin phase runs December 29, 2022 through January 4, 2023. The winning nation from each city, plus the “next best performing team” advances to the Final Four in Sydney to be played out January 6-8, 2023.