The players weaving the United Cup into their 2024 schedules will no doubt have seen the reaction from those who competed in the inaugural tournament in 2023.
Featuring 18 nations and played across multiple Australian cities, the United Cup showcased a unique mixed team tennis competition, with men’s and women’s stars combining to kick-start the Aussie summer of tennis in perfect style.
With the next edition beginning later this month, we revisit the resounding response from the players and teams in 2023 to answer the question: Why do players love competing at the United Cup?
Former world No.4 and Wimbledon semifinalist Tim Henman, who captained Great Britain, believed the United Cup leveraged tennis’s enviable position among professional sports.
“I think it's a massive attribute to our sport to have these combined events. There are so few sports that are able to do that,” he said.
Sam Stosur, a playing captain for Australia, felt similarly.
“Having this event — men and women, ATP and WTA combined — when you’re really playing for something, you’re playing for your country, you’re playing for points, and obviously everything that goes along with that, I think it’s fantastic,” she said.
“It’s a huge step forward for our sport.”
It also marked a huge step forward for the players, many of whom were playing in a mixed format for the very first time.
“It’s going to be exciting as I’ve never even played mixed doubles,” 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini said on eve of the event.
“It's a unique competition, so it's special to be here, guys and girls, playing together for the same trophy. It's really exciting.”
With players donning their country’s colours and playing for their flags, the United Cup encourages a national pride that adds an extra dimension to the buzz inside the stadium.
“We thrive playing for our country, representing the green and gold. There is always a lot of passion and pride and it is a great time of the year,” said Alex de Minaur, No.1 player for the host nation as Australia prepared to compete in Sydney.
“We are in the Aussie summer, ready to start 2023. There is no better place to be.”
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It’s not just the Australian players lifting in front of their home fans.
As one of the world’s more multicultural nations, Australian events attract diverse crowds – a boon for other teams.
"There's a big, strong Greek community in Sydney. I always have a lot of fun when they come around and support me in my matches,” said top-five star Stefanos Tsitsipas, after he and teammate Maria Sakkari guided Greece into the Final Four at Ken Rosewall Arena.
“I think this is going to be a very important aspect of us playing there. We're going to get great Greek support and a very ambient court whenever we're out there playing."
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With squads of teammates urging their compatriots on from the sidelines, the players benefit from another boost.
“Most of the time we are alone on court with our staff. Now we know we have the whole team together. Five, six, seven, eight people are cheering for us every point,” said French doubles champion Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
“It gives us a lot of good energy.”
Few teams gelled as well as the United States, a factor in Team USA going all the way to the title in 2023.
“You will see a lot of Pegula-Tiafoe practices from this point until whenever she wants to hang it up and I want to hang it up. She's definitely risen my level to a whole other level. She's unbelievable,” Frances Tiafoe said of teammate and world No.3 Jessica Pegula.
“Happy I got to hit with her, happy I got to see ‘Clinch Fritz’ and Madison Keys do their thing. It's been a special week. Everybody behind me too.
“It takes a village to do something special. It's been a hell of a week.”
‘Clinch Fritz’ was Taylor Fritz, the player who won the third singles match over Berrettini in the final to deliver Team USA an unbeatable 3-0 lead.
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He possessed unshakeable faith in his team, which delivered on the big stage in Sydney.
“I had no doubt that if I were to lose that the rest of the team would have come through. But I've played with Team USA a lot. I think it's a huge advantage this time having the girls on our team because it just makes the whole team so much stronger,” Fritz said.
“It's just so much more exciting, there's so much more emotions. You can celebrate with your whole team as opposed to just celebrating by yourself. As soon as I won, I turned to the team and I knew everyone was going to run at me.”
Team spirit was a feature of the competition, helped by long associations between players dating back to their childhood days.
“I think team competitions are my favourite part of the year. It's really special to be here with this team… we are all close friends and having a good time off court,” said Brazilian doubles star Luisa Stefani.
The unique nature of the competition, energy of the crowds, and connection between the players all boost the significance of what plays out on court at the United Cup.
“It’s an honour to represent Team Switzerland. I feel like it’s a different feeling when I step on the court. I don’t just play for myself. Somehow I manage to bring a little bit more out of me,” said former world No.4 Belinda Bencic.
“Maybe it’s because I just feel like I’m also playing for something bigger than myself.”
The presence of top players and tennis legends on the various United Cup teams is a dream come true for some of the squads’ less-experienced members.
Czech rising star Jiri Lehecka discussed just how valuable it was to count Petra Kvitova – a two-time Wimbledon champion – as a teammate.
“She is a Grand Slam champion which speaks for itself. She is perfect and trying to help us. She is speaking about her own experiences which she gained through her own career,” Lehecka explained.
“She is really relaxed and always brings a good mood to the locker room, which is something we need here.
“Just to listen to her speaking about the match when she is watching is really interesting. She has a different point of view than other coaches. She has been through everything, now she is sitting with you at the bench and telling you how she sees it which is very interesting. She gives you good tips."
Young Australian Maddison Inglis described it as “surreal” to have Stosur – a US Open singles champion – working with her during the United Cup.
“I still can't really wrap my head around it, but we were talking to each other during the match, she's warming me up today and yesterday we hit,” she said.
“She's amazing and to have her as the captain this week has been awesome.”
British player Katie Swan also gained an enormous amount from Henman’s court-side presence.
“I remember the results that he had and, and, of course, at Wimbledon, Henman Hill is iconic, so I've known for a long time that he's a legend in British tennis,” Swan said.
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“It's been so special just to spend some time with him, and I'm really making the most out of that. I really want to learn as much as I can from him and I hope after this event is over that we can stay in touch.”
That learning experience extends to the established stars themselves.
“I think it’s an amazing experience to play this United Cup,” said Swiss playing captain Stan Wawrinka.
“To have the chance to be the captain, to see tennis in a different way, in a different position, I’m really enjoying.”
