A brand new tournament has kicked off the 2023 summer of tennis in Australia, with the United Cup replacing the ATP Cup.

National teams are going toe to toe, 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 all the key details for the tournament.

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What is the United Cup?

The United Cup is a new mixed tennis tournament, played in a team competition format.

In 2023, 18 nations - comprising up to four men and four women - are facing off to be crowned inaugural champions.

Countries have been split into six pools of three teams, with semi-finals and a final in Sydney to cap off the event.

Teams will play four singles matches (two men’s and two women’s) and one mixed doubles match in the round-robin stage.

There is a US$15 million (AU$22 million) prize pool on offer, so is plenty of incentive for players to participate in the warm-up event.

When and where is the United Cup?

Whilst the ATP Cup was held exclusively in Sydney, three cities - Brisbane, Perth and Sydney - are co-hosting the United Cup in 2023.

The event is taking place over 11 days, beginning on Thursday, December 29, 2022 and wrapping up on Sunday, January 8, 2023.

Each city is hosting two separate groups made up of three countries between December 29 to January 4, before the top four nations compete in Sydney from January 6 to 8.

Those top four nations will be those who win in their respective city, as well as the next-best performing team.

The full tournament schedule can be accessed here.

How are countries selected for the United Cup?

18 countries will feature in the inaugural tournament in 2023, with 12 countries selected from the nations of the top six men’s and women’s players, according to ATP and WTA rankings.

The other six teams qualify based on combined men’s/women’s rankings.

Which countries and players have been selected for the United Cup?

All 18 nations have been confirmed for the 2023 United Cup.

The locations, groups and players are outlined below.

Perth

Group A

Greece

Stefanos Tsitsipas
Maria Sakkari
Michail Pervolarakis
Despina Papamichail
Stefanos Sakellardidis
Valentini Grammatikopoulou
Petros Tsitsipas
Sapfo Sakellaridi

Belgium

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

Bulgaria

Grigor Dimitrov
Viktoriya Tomova
Dimitar Kuzmanov
Isabella Shinikova
Adrian Andreev
Gergana Topalova
Alexandar Lazarov
-

Group F

France

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

Croatia

Borna Coric
Petra Martic
Borna Gojo
Donna Vekic
Matija Pecotic
Tara Wurth
-
Petra Marcinko

Argentina

Diego Schwartzman
Nadia Podoroska
Francisco Cerundolo
Maria Carle
Federico Coria
Paula Ormaechea
Andres Molteni
-

Brisbane

Group B

Poland

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

Switzerland

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

Kazakhstan

Alexander Bublik
Yulia Putintseva
Timofey Skatov
Zhibek Kulambayeva
Denis Yevseyev
Gozal Ainitdinova
Grigoriy Lomaki
-

Group E

Italy

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

Brazil

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

Norway

Casper Ruud
Ulrikke Eikeri
Viktor Durasovic
Malene Helgo
Andreja Petrovic
Lilly Haseth
-
-

Sydney

Group C

USA

Taylor Fritz
Jessica Pegula
Frances Tiafoe
Madison Keys
Denis Kudla
Alycia Parks
Hunter Reese
Desirae Krawczyk

Germany

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

Czech Republic

Jiri Lehecka
Petra Kvitova
Tomas Machac
Marie Bouzkova
Dalibor Svrcina
Jesika Maleckova
-
-

Group D

Spain

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

Australia

Nick Kyrgios
Ajla Tomljanovic
Alex de Minaur
Zoe Hives
Jason Kubler
Maddison Inglis
John Peers
Sam Stosur

Great Britain

Cameron Norrie
Harriet Dart
Dan Evans
Katie Swan
Jan Choinski
Anna Brogan
Jonny O’Mara
Ella McDonald

How to watch the United Cup

As the rights holders of the 2023 Summer of Tennis - including the Australian Open - Nine are broadcasting the United Cup in Australia.

Every match is available on 9Now and via their paid streaming service, Stan Sport.

Selected matches are being televised on Channel 9’s primary channel throughout the tournament.

For international viewers, please check your local guides for broadcast details.

What happened to the ATP Cup?

Replacing the Hopman Cup in 2020, the ATP Cup has lasted just three years.

A men’s-only tournament, it pitted nations together in a team competition format.

Team Serbia claimed the inaugural edition, with Team Russia (2021) and Team Canada (2022) the other victors.

Ultimately, the ATP Cup has been replaced due to the increasing co-operation between the men’s and women’s tennis tours (the ATP and WTA).

The $15 million prize pool for the United Cup reflects the backing mixed tournaments are receiving, as tennis prioritises efforts towards equality.

When is the 2023 Australian Open?

Next year’s Australian Open will run from Monday, January 16 until Sunday, January 29.

Source: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tennis/news/united-cup-australian-open-warm-tournament-sydney-replacing-atp-cup/jx4qtan3qpeow4hraplndh55