In this upcoming Olympic year, the United Cup takes on a special significance.
It’s not just that matches in Sydney are played at an Olympic venue (they take place at Ken Rosewall Arena, constructed for the Sydney 2000 Games and one of the many sporting arenas comprising Sydney Olympic Park).
It’s also a rare opportunity for players to accrue valuable court time playing mixed doubles.
Outside of United Cup, the only officially-sanctioned mixed doubles events are the four Grand Slam tournaments, plus once every four years at the Olympic Games.
Although tennis returned to the Summer Olympics program of events in 1988, mixed doubles was not included until 2012, and the draw is limited to just 16 pairs.
It’s a valuable medal opportunity for teams chasing national glory and attracts some superstar pairings – just like the United Cup, where mixed doubles takes on a greater importance following changes to the 2024 competition format.
"It's definitely fun to think that we get to play multiple team-type events this year. I'm really excited for the Olympics,” said world No.5 Jessica Pegula, who will represent Team USA with fellow top-10 player Taylor Fritz.
“I'm obviously in a great position to be going (to Paris 2024), so I think that's really cool, to be able to go twice (after Tokyo 2020).
“Playing with Taylor, he's probably going to be going as well, so being able to get that experience now, before heading into Paris, will be really special.
“Hopefully we can carry that momentum all the way through Paris and try and build some momentum there.”
Pegula and Fritz are not the only players competing at the United Cup with an eye towards the Olympics.
For Australian doubles stars Storm Hunter and Matt Ebden, the United Cup was an especially attractive option for that very reason.
"When me and Matt started speaking about mixed doubles next year with the idea of the Olympics, obviously he's had an incredible year... (and) we are a potential Olympic team for the mixed doubles,” said Hunter, the WTA doubles world No.1.
“When we were talking, the United Cup was a priority for us; it's another opportunity to play some matches before the Olympics, if we end up going down that pathway.
“This is a good chance to practise, get on court together and I think it's a great opportunity and definitely sets us up for Paris.”
Rising Chinese stars Zheng Qinwen and Zhang Zhizhen are representing their country in Team China’s United Cup debut.
Both are fresh off winning singles gold medals at the Asian Games, and while singles remains her priority, Zheng’s partnership with Zhang could expand her Olympic horizons.
"For the moment I've been thinking more of the singles in Olympic Games, but of course, if we have that connection in the mixed doubles in Australia, we will obviously talk about Olympic Games for the mixed doubles (at Paris 2024),” she told unitedcup.com.
Elsewhere, other star-studded teams at United Cup 2024 have golden goals in their sights.
Team Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz, undefeated at in mixed doubles at United Cup 2023 and returning for the 2024 edition, have indicated they would like to join forces at Paris 2024.
Team Greece’s Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas were the No.2 seeds in mixed doubles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, falling just short of the medal rounds. Paris 2024 could see a chance to atone for that near miss.
It adds an extra dimension to the competition when the United Cup kicks off on 29 December.
