Top 10 players to watch at Tennis United Cup 2026

Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz will look to help USA defend their title at Tennis United Cup 2026.

The United Cup 2026 is a mixed-gender international tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts, organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

Participants can earn up to 500 ATP or WTA ranking points. The event will feature an impressive prize money pool of $11,806,190.

Some prominent names from both the WTA and ATP circuits are set to compete in the tournament, though stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be absent.

With the 2025 Australian Open just around the corner, the United Cup serves as an ideal platform for players to find their grove ahead of the Grand Slam.

Let’s have a look at the top 10 players to keep an eye on as the United Cup 2026 action gets underway.

Players to watch at United Cup 2026

10. Felix Auger-Aliassime

Felix Auger-Aliassime, world No. 5 after a stellar late-2025 surge (including ATP Finals semifinal), anchors Canada as top men’s player in Group B. Anticipate dominant singles wins and mixed doubles contributions alongside rising star Victoria Mboko.

9. Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas has endured a steady decline since his straight-sets loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Australian Open final. Once tipped to dominate the post-Big Three era, the Greek has struggled to match the rapid ascent of younger stars such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

After a season disrupted by injuries and off-court turbulence, including a high-profile coaching split and personal setbacks, Tsitsipas will be eager to reset and start 2026 on a positive note with a strong showing at the United Cup.

8. Hubert Hurkacz

pic.twitter.com/igtFSdChXR

— Hubert Hurkacz (@HubertHurkacz) July 3, 2025

Hubert Hurkacz will lead the Poland men’s squad at the United Cup and hope to be injury-free in the upcoming year. Despite being incredibly gifted, the Polish has been unable to do justice to his talent.

The primary reason for this has been long sustaining injuries which Hurkacz has had to contend with, resulting in inconsistency on the court.

Also Read: Top five players with highest prize money earned in ATP 2025 season

7. Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka headlines Japan’s first United Cup appearance, bringing her four Grand Slam pedigree and improved form under new coaching in late 2025.

She enjoyed a good end to the 2025 season, and will look to once again find some Grand Slam success. At the United Cup though, Osaka will have to carry her team’s hopes.

6. Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev, the highest-ranked ATP player in the competition, will be pivotal to Germany’s title defense at the United Cup. After a fairly poor 2025, barring the Australian Open final appearance, Zverev continues to be ranked World No. 3.

Determined to break his title drought, he will aim to kick off 2025 on a high note with a strong performance at the United Cup.

5. Jasmine Paolini

What a year for Jasmine Paolini 😍She is your pick for Doubles Fan Favorite of 2025 👏 pic.twitter.com/d939XzrfRI

— wta (@WTA) December 15, 2025

It was a year of ups and downs for Jasmine Paolini, who has become a regular feature the women’s arena in both singles and doubles. The Italian let herself down in Grand Slams, but won the Italian Open Masters. However, she has slipped on the rankings chart, and will look to get back on track.

With Italy winning the Davis Cup, they become a strong contender for the team event, looking to go one better than 2023, when they reached the finals.

4. Emma Raducanu

Making her United Cup debut in 2026 after a solid 2025 resurgence (ending inside Top 30), Emma Raducanu is expected to lead Great Britain’s women’s singles, potentially facing Naomi Osaka early in Group E.

The 2025 season was in many ways a reminder of what Raducanu can do, and she must produce deep runs in major events, starting off with Australia, if she wants to impose herself as dominant contender in WTA.

3. Taylor Fritz

As the men’s leader for defending champions USA alongside Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz is expected to deliver strong singles performances and potentially decisive mixed doubles in the United Cup 2026.

Fresh from clinching the 2025 title with a key win over Hubert Hurkacz, Fritz will aim to build early momentum on hard courts, his most preferred surface, ahead of the Australian Open

2. Coco Gauff

Coco Gauff, partnering Taylor Fritz for title-defending USA, is poised for another standout United Cup campaign after going 5-0 in singles during the 2025 triumph, including a pivotal final win over Swiatek.

The World No. 3 will look to replicate that form in group stages against Spain and Argentina, gaining crucial match practice on hard courts to refine her game post-French Open success and set up a potential AO title march.

1. Iga Swiatek

Iga Swiatek returns to lead Poland for the fourth straight year, motivated to finally secure the title after two consecutive runner-up finishes, including a 2025 final loss to USA.

With her unbeaten singles record in recent editions and a dominant 2025 season capped by Wimbledon glory, expect the World No. 2 to dominate women’s singles and mixed doubles, using the event as vital preparation for defending her Australian Open points and chasing a strong start to reclaim No. 1.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram