United Cup Tennis: Nadal, Swiatek to begin 2023 at United Cup in Australia

United Cup Tennis: Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek will kick off their 2023 seasons at the United Cup in Australia, a new mixed teams event, but a host of top 10 players are skipping the tournament. The United Cup, with US$15 million in prize money and rankings points at stake, has replaced the men’s ATP Cup and will be held in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney as a key build-up to the Australian Open Grand Slam. Follow United Cup Live Updates with InsideSport.IN

United Cup Tennis: Rafael Nadal, Iga Swiatek to begin 2023 at United Cup in Australia as teams and groups unveiled – Check Out

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Eighteen countries will compete across 11 days from December 29, with each team comprising four men and four women with 500 WTA and 500 ATP rankings points available.

“The playing group is very excited about the United Cup, and that’s confirmed in the high quality and calibre of those who’ve committed to the event,” tournament director Stephen Farrow said Thursday.

United Cup Tennis: Nadal, Swiatek to begin 2023 at United Cup in Australia

United Cup Tennis: Nadal, Swiatek to begin 2023 at United Cup in Australia

“We are delighted with the depth and breadth of the teams, and we can look forward to many exciting matchups and lots of entertaining tennis.”

World number two and 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal — the defending Australian Open champion — will headline Spain’s team along with 13th-ranked Paula Badosa. But Spanish world number one Carlos Alcaraz will not take part.

Top-ranked Swiatek will spearhead Poland alongside Hubert Hurkacz while world number three Jessica Pegula is on a United States team that also features Madison Keys, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe.

A resurgent Caroline Garcia, fresh from beating Aryna Sabalenka to win the season-ending WTA Finals on Monday, is the big-name player for France.

Sixth-ranked Maria Sakkari is the only other woman in the top 10 taking part, in a strong Greek team seeded one with world number three Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The likes of top-10 players Sabalenka, Ons Jabeur and Coco Gauff have opted to begin their seasons at other events, likely the Adelaide International, a joint ATP-WTA tournament that runs at the same time.

Other notable United Cup entries include Norwegian world number four Casper Ruud, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who is planning a return to the courts in December from a serious ankle injury, and Australian showman Nick Kyrgios.

Brisbane, Perth and Sydney will each host two groups of three countries in a round-robin format from December 29 to January 4 with ties comprising two men’s and two women’s singles matches and one mixed doubles.

Group winners in each city will play off for one of three semi-final spots in Sydney, with the next best performing team from the group stages joining them.

16 countries locked in, two to be revealed🔒

Who will lift the #UnitedCup? 🏆

Find out more: https://t.co/sQuxjlPHlS pic.twitter.com/56hYcLgV17

— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) November 10, 2022

United Cup Groups

Group A – Perth

Greece – Stefanos Tsitsipas, Michail Pervolarakis, Stefanos Sakellaridis, Petros Tsitsipas, Maria Sakkari, Despina Papamichail, Valentini Grammatikopoulou, Sapfo Sakellaridi.

Belgium – David Goffin, Zizou Bergs, Kimmer Coppejans, Michael Geerts, Elise Mertens, Alison Van Uytvanck, Magali Kempen, Kirsten Flipkens.

The final country to qualify via ATP ranking on November 21.

Group B – Brisbane

Poland – Hubert Hurkacz, Kamil Majchrzak, Daniel Michalski, Lukasz Kubot, Iga Swiatek, Magda Linette, Weronika Falkowska, Alicja Rosolska.

Switzerland – Stan Wawrinka, Marc-Andrea Huesler, Dominic Stricker, Alexander Ritschard, Belinda Bencic, Jil Teichmann, Ylena In-Albon, Joanne Zuger.

The final country to qualify via ATP ranking on November 21.

Group C – Sydney

United States – Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Denis Kudla, Hunter Reese, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys, Alycia Parks, Desirae Krawczyk.

Germany – Alexander Zverev, Oscar Otte, Daniel Altmaier, Fabian Fallert, Laura Siegemund, Jule Niemeier, Anna-Lena Friedsam, Julia Lohoff.

Czech Republic – Jiri Lehecka, Tomas Machac, Lukas Rosol, Dalibor Svrcina, Petra Kivitova, Marie Bouzkova, Jesika Maleckova.

Group D – Sydney

Spain – Rafael Nadal, Pablo Carreno Busta, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, David Vega Hernandez, Paula Badosa, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Australia – Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur, Jason Kubler, John Peers, Ajla Tomljanovic, Zoe Hives, Maddison Inglis, Samantha Stosur.

Great Britain – Cameron Norrie, Daniel Evans, Jan Choinski, Jonny O’Mara, Harriet Dart, Katie Swan, Anna Brogan, Ella McDonald.

Group E – Brisbane

Italy – Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Musetti, Andrea Vavassori, Marco Bortolotti, Martina Trevisan, Lucia Bronzetti, Camila Rosatello, Nuria Brancaccio.

Brazil – Thiago Monteiro, Felipe Meligeni Alves, Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida, Rafael Matos, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Laura Pigossi, Carolina Alves, Luisa Stefani.

Norway – Casper Ruud, Viktor Durasovic, Andreja Petrovic, Ulrikke Eikeri, Malene Helgo. Lilly Haseth.

Group F – Perth

France – Arthur Rinderknech, Adrian Mannarino, Manuel Guinard, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Caroline Garcia, Alize Cornet, Leolia Jeanjean, Jessika Ponchet.

Croatia – Borna Coric, Borna Gojo, Matija Pecotic, Petra Martic, Donna Vekic, Tara Wurth, Petra Marcinko.

Argentina – Diego Schwartzman, Francisco Cerundolo, Federico Coria, Andres Molteni, Nadia Podoroska, Maria Carle, Paula Ormaechea.