The 2024 United Cup, an international outdoor hard court mixed-gender team tennis tournament, will be the second edition of this exciting event. Organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the tournament is set to take place from 29 December 2023 to 7 January 2024, spanning across two Australian cities: Perth and Sydney. This tournament serves as the opener for both the 2024 ATP Tour and the 2024 WTA Tour.
Format and Venues
The tournament will be hosted in two venues: RAC Arena in Perth and Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney. Both cities will accommodate three groups of three countries each, following a round-robin format. This involves one men’s and one women’s singles match, along with one mixed doubles match per session. The group winners and the best runner-up from each city will advance to the quarterfinals, with the semi-finals and final rounds taking place in Sydney.
Prize Money and Ranking Points
The United Cup offers a substantial prize pool of A$15,000,000, which is approximately US$10,000,000. In terms of ranking points, players can earn different points based on the round they reach and the ranking of their opponents. For instance, a win in the final against a top 10 ranked opponent can earn a player 180 points, while a group stage win against the same level of opponent would earn 55 points. A maximum of 500 points can be earned by a player during the tournament.
Teams and Qualification
Eighteen countries will participate, with each team comprising up to three men and three women. Qualification for the United Cup is based on the six highest-ranked men and six highest-ranked women entered, according to their Pepperstone ATP and WTA Tour rankings. Additionally, six teams will qualify based on the best combined ranking of the highest-ranked men’s and women’s players from the same country, with Australia guaranteed entry either directly via ranking or as a wildcard.
FORMAT
Each city will host nine teams, with each team comprised of three men and three women. Ties are comprised of one men’s singles match, one women’s singles match and one mixed doubles match.
Each city will host two groups of three countries, competing in a round-robin format. Group winners in each city will advance to the quarterfinals, with one quarterfinal spot in each city awarded to the best runner-up in that city.
Winners progress to the semifinals and finals in Sydney. Teams advancing from Perth will receive a travel day and rest day on Jan. 4 and 5.
The semifinals will be played on Saturday, Jan. 6 and the final will be played on Saturday, Jan. 7.
The groups were drawn in October. Here’s where each of the 18 teams will play:
Perth
Group A: Poland, Spain, Brazil
Group C: United States, Great Britain, Australia
Group E: Czech Republic, China, Serbia
Sydney
Group D: Greece, Canada, Chile
Group E: France, Italy, Germany
Group F: Croatia, Netherlands, Norway
Innovations and Highlights
The 2024 edition introduces a new format where each tie will be determined in a single session. This includes one men’s singles and one women’s singles match featuring the No.1 ranked singles players from the teams, followed by a mixed doubles match. This format showcases equality at the highest level of the sport, with the world’s top-ranked tennis players competing side-by-side.
Tickets and Participation
Tickets for the semifinals and finals of the United Cup went on sale on 6 October via Ticketmaster. Participation in the tournament is contingent on players committing to the event by the tournament’s entry deadline, which was 17 October for the first 16 teams, with the remaining two teams decided on 20 November.
In summary, the 2024 United Cup promises to be a significant event in the tennis calendar, combining top-tier competition with a unique mixed-gender format, significant prize money, and crucial ranking points, all set against the backdrop of two of Australia’s most vibrant cities.
