The 18 teams competing at United Cup 2024 are listed in seed order. Australia sits in 15th place.
But this position is deceptive, given the strength and depth of the host nation’s squad.
Australia will be tough to stop in the second year of the mixed-team competition, especially when they will enjoy the backing of a passionate Perth crowd at RAC Arena.
Doubles world No.1 Storm Hunter is confident in her team’s chances when they kick off their campaign against Great Britain on the evening of Friday 29 December.
TICKETS: Catch Team Australia in action at RAC Arena in Perth
“We're not there to (just) compete – we're there to win. Like, we wanna win this thing,” Hunter said.
“We have a pretty tough group, but I honestly think we can do it.
"We actually have the team for it. Everyone who's playing there all wear their heart on their sleeve.”
The tough group Hunter referenced is Group C, featuring Australia, Great Britain and defending champions United States – three of the four Grand Slam nations.
The quality within the green-and-gold list, however, is undeniable.
Team Australia qualified for United Cup 2024 on the strength of Alex de Minaur’s singles ranking, which peaked at world No.11 earlier this year.
The Aussie No.1 has enjoyed a brilliant season and this week helped steer Australia into the Davis Cup semifinals following yet another lion-hearted performance for his country.
He was backed up brilliantly by Matt Ebden, who sits at a peak doubles ranking of world No.4 and paired with Max Purcell in the live doubles rubber to clinch Australia’s semifinal spot.
Ebden is one of the three elite doubles players in Australia’s United Cup team. The others are Hunter – the first Australian women since Sam Stosur 17 years earlier to end a season at No.1 in doubles – and Ellen Perez, who also cracked the WTA doubles top 10 in 2023.
Thrilled to compete in their home city of Perth, Hunter and Ebden are debuting a new doubles partnership next season with an eye to representing Australia in mixed doubles at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"The line-up in Perth is, like, insane. If you're a tennis fan, it's the best ticket in town, I think,” said Hunter, one of the three world No.1s set to star at RAC Arena.
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"Honestly it's a dream come true for me. I just get goosebumps thinking about it, to play in front of my friends and family – people are reaching out to me already like super excited.
"I think it's just such a cool opportunity if me and him end up playing mixed doubles together. I think it's like the two locals take on the world, which I think is an amazing story and super exciting.
“When we were talking, the United Cup was a priority for us. This is a good chance to practice, get on court together, and definitely sets us up for Paris.”
The top Australian women’s singles player is Ajla Tomljanovic, a Billie Jean King Cup teammate of Hunter and Perez.
The three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist possesses incredible ball-striking abilities and despite an injury-ravaged season, she will enjoy a boost from returning to RAC Arena, where she won her first match representing Australia in the 2019 Billie Jean King Cup final.
Rounding out the squad is experienced Aussie representative John Millman, who will play his last Australian summer of tennis before his retirement.
“I think the depth of the team is because we all value playing for Australia,” Hunter said.
“It's one of our priorities obviously with Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup; they're the best weeks of the year. I think we're trying to bring that same energy and passion and emotion to United Cup.
“Obviously Demon wants to win everything, he's so competitive. And Ajla too, she's such a leader for our team. And Matt and Ellen and Johnny Millman.
“We're just super excited to be there.”
