Preview United Cup 2025: New season begins as 2024 ends including Gauff, Fritz, Swiatek, Rybakina and Zverev

As many have remarked, the new tennis season starts earlier and earlier every year and the next week will see 2025 go into full force including the United Cup which starts on December 27 running until 5 January, 2025. Our preview looks ahead to the yearly tournament where country is the priority.

Germany are defending champions and two of the leading cogs in the armoury return for 2025 in Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund who formed a big part of their charge to the title in an epic final match with Alex de Minaur's Australia, also back for 2025.

De Minaur though has the task first of all of facing his fiance in the group stages potentially even in mixed doubles at the end of it with Billy Harris likely to partner Boulter. It is a pretty stacked line-up otherwise featuring familiar tandems.

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Familiar faces lead stacked line-up

Iga Swiatek again will team with Hubert Hurkacz to form the main part of the Poland line-up, while Maria Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas will be the Greek leading duo.

Elena Rybakina for the first time plays United Cup and will be alongside Alexander Shevchenko. Both of whom have recent experience of teaming up with others as part of the World Tennis League recently. Other leading lights include Jasmine Paolini and Flavio Cobolli for Italy.

As well as USA's top seeded group including Taylor Fritz, Coco Gauff who will need to do a lot of the heavy lifting for the USA alongside Danielle Collins with no real top name despite their riches on the court usually.

Karolina Muchova looked superb in Macau and forms a strong Czech team.

Perhaps an outsider for the title is Czech Republic, they have Tomas Machac and Karolina Muchova leading a strong duo on the outset. While others perhaps lack that killer touch when it comes to another player to anchor them.

Canada are perhaps one also to look out for with Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez as their leading names. Casper Ruud is also involved, Belinda Bencic has been grinding away winning smaller tournaments and has been very successful on her return from pregnancy but she will join Dominic Stricker for Switzerland. Borna Coric and Donna Vekic as the final seed could also be dark horses for the title too.

How does it work? Format explained

But how does it all work? Perth and Sydney host the tournament. Over the two cities, both will host three groups of three countries in a round robin format.

Each tie will consist of one men's and one women's singles match and one mixed doubles match. The winner in a similar vein to Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup moves into the Quarter-Finals which features the six group winners and the best runner-up in each city.

Perth and Sydney host three groups of three countries while the latter stays on to host the semi-finals and final on the last two days of the tournament.

Top ties include USA v Canada, Poland v Czech Republic, Kazakhstan v Greece, Italy v France and also Australia v Great Britain during the group stage.

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Who is missing?

Of those who qualify there are a lot of leading names who have decided not to play the tournament. Namely Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as the top duo in men's tennis right now meaning their respective countries are significantly weakened. Aside from italy who still have Jasmine Paolini as ever.

Both Italy and Spain have entered a team with Flavio Cobolli and Pablo Carreno Busta instead anchoring efforts. While the USA have Gauff, Fritz and Collins, they are also missing a recognised men's number two.

Denis Kudla is the player who will take the second men's spot. Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda and Frances Tiafoe have all decided against it meaning they are top heavy but that they cannot lean on further top names to give them real favourite status.

While Emma Navarro, Jessica Pegula and down to the likes of Peyton Stearns will start their seasons elsewhere, the former two in a strong Brisbane field next week. Amanda Anisimova another option plays Auckland instead.

Novak Djokovic was a real focal point of last year's line-up but will play Brisbane instead.

Novak Djokovic also won't play this year albeit Serbia haven't entered at all with Olga Danilovic for instance joining him last year. But instead he will play Brisbane. While Aryna Sabalenka for instance also won't play as the nationalities of Russia and Belarus are expunged for neutral status. She also plays in Brisbane.

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Emma Raducanu also won't play the tournament, she has decided to play Auckland. Great Britain who made a real splash at the Billie Jean King Cup will also not have Jack Draper, he is injured and won't start his season at this point.

While Zheng Qinwen has also exited out saying she prefers to have more rest. Bianca Andreescu who was originally playing Auckland also won't strengthen Canada's cause and seems to be taking a break from the sport.

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