Fritz Believes United Cup Mixed-Team Format Plays To America’s Strengths 

Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz
Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz (photo: Tennis Australia/Trevor Collens)

PERTH/WASHINGTON, January 2, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)

Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff are a solid and formidable 1-2 combo for the United States, which begins defense of its 2025 United Cup title against Argentina on RAC Arena in Perth Saturday evening.

Both Americans are Top-10 stars in their own right. Last year, after Gauff and Fritz beat Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz, respectively, in the championship final, it lifted the United States to its second United Cup title in three years.

Now, as the top-seeded Americans go after their third title in the four-year history of the ATP/WTA mixed-team event, they must either finish first in Group A (after facing Argentina and Spain) or be the best second-place team among the three groups that are competing in Perth in order to advance to the semifinal round in Sydney next weekend. They are the only team among the 18 nations competing the year in Perth and Sydney to include two Top-10 players on their roster.

During his team’s pre-tournament news conference on Friday, Fritz was asked why the United States has thrived in United Cup. “I think it plays to the strengths of our country,” he said. “I think we have such amazing women’s players. Coco’s first year was just last year, and obviously, we won it beforehand, as well. 

“The first year we had it with the top two men and top two women, I think that favors our country even more in that kind of format.

“It’s great to just feel like we have such a strong team all throughout. For me, personally, I’ve always felt like I play a lot better in the team competitions.”

Fritz remembers fondly the reaction of celebrating as a team after he clinched the championship tie against Poland by defeating Hurkacz, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (4),  in an exciting match decided by a third-set tie-break.

“It was a really cool moment to clinch that, with the occasion as well, in a third-set tie-breaker, and for the United Cup,” Fritz said. “I think winning the team event is always more fun, because you have the whole team to kind of celebrate with afterwards.”

Last year, across five wins – including her last match against World No. 2 Swiatek, in which she prevailed 6-4, 6-4 – the 21-year-old Gauff didn’t drop a set. She’s sold on the mixed-team concept of the United Cup.

“Coming off preseason and being able to start the year in a team environment, it’s like the perfect mix of pressure and having fun,” she said. “Last year, I remember being super nervous, because I didn’t want to let anyone down, but I was able to come out of that and do pretty well. I’m hoping to be able to do the same.”

Argentina prepares for U.S. challenge with Spain triumph 

On Friday afternoon, Argentina gained its first win in the group stage – and the first team win of the 2026 United Cup – with a 3-0 shutout victory over Spain on RAC Arena. It set up a showdown with the defending champion United States in Group A on Saturday evening.

First, 45th-ranked Sebastian Baez withstood seven aces from No. 33 Jaume Munar and broke his opponent’s serve four times during his 6-4, 6-4 triumph in an hour and 43 minutes. Baez outpointed Munar 63-60 to gain his first victory over a Top-50 opponent since last February en route to winning the Rio Open title. Next, Baez will face World No. 6 Taylor Fritz of the United States, who is 9-3 lifetime in singles in United Cup competitions.

“I really enjoyed this moment, enjoyed the time on court, so happy to [have] won this point for Argentina,” Baez said during his on-court interview after improving to 2-0 lifetime against Munar. “I am happy because I am recovering from some pain and some injuries from the past two years. So, of course, I want more. I know I have more. I have some confidence and I believe in my team and in my country.”

Later, during his team’s news conference, Baez added: “I felt so comfortable today, with more confidence on my game, on my volley also. … I am trying to be focused on the preparation, on the physical training, of course, the tactical games and everything. …

“Happy for Argentina and happy to have the chance to play tomorrow.”

After Baez put Argentina ahead 1-0, 66th-ranked Solana Sierra clinched the win for the Argentines with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 victory over No. 41 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, in which she came back after dropping five straight games to lose the second set. She took advantage of 11 double faults and outpointed Bouzas Maneiro 97-73.

“It was a really tough match. I just tried to focus on my game. I was doing really good, then at 5-2 in the second set, I was not playing too good,” Sierra said. “But I’m really proud of how I kept going in the third set.”

During her team’s news conference, Solana added: “I feel really good on the court. I think I played a really great match. … Yeah, it was a really good match, tough. But I feel good.”

Sierra will face World No. 3 Coco Gauff in her next match Saturday evening. “Yeah, so very excited. I think it’s a great opportunity for me to play a really top player. I really like that challenge. Yeah, it’s going to be super, super tough. … I’m super excited to play that match.”

Finally, Argentina’s Guido Andreozzi and Maria Lourdes Carle defeated Yvonne Carvalle-Reimers and Inigo Cervantes, 7-6 (6), 6-2, in the mixed doubles rubber to complete the shutout over the Spaniards.

Tsitsipas, Sakkari power Greece past Japan

A healthy and refreshed Stefanos Tsitsipas and a rejuvenated Maria Sakkari combined to beat Japan 3-0 Friday evening in the Group E opener for both teams on RAC Arena.

First, the 52nd-ranked Sakkari delivered a convincing 6-4, 6-2 victory over World No. 16 Naomi Osaka in an hour and 33 minutes on RAC Arena. She broke the four-time major champion’s serve five times in nine opportunities and outpointed Osaka 64-55 in their first head-to-head match in nearly five years. 

“You’re always very hesitant when you come in that first match because sometimes you can trick yourself that you had a good preseason, and then you have high expectations to come out and do everything,” Sakkari said  during her post-match interview.

“I really forced myself not to think like that. I think that that was the key. Just went out there, tried to do the things that I worked on and, you know, we keep building and we can keep trying to improve.”

Following Sakkari’s victory, former World No. 3 Tsitsipas – now ranked 36th and playing for the first time since a back injury shut down his season last September – was assertive throughout his 6-3, 6-4 win over No. 99 Shintaro Mochizuki, striking eight aces and outpointing his opponent 63-55.

“It’s been a rough few months for me,” Tsitsipas said during his on-court interview. “I was in a lot of uncertainty and I was not sure if I could really compete, so to se myself at that level again and showing some really good tennis is something I’m grateful for. Let’s keep it going.”

Finally, Tsitsipas and Sakkari teamed in mixed doubles to score a 6-2, 6-3 win over Yasutaka Uchiyama and Nao Hibino to complete the shutout. 

During his team’s post-match news conference, Tsitsipas agreed that he and Sakkari put a lot of energy into their winning mixed doubles performance.

“I think it was obvious that every match counts,” he said. “That was the reason we decided to play it the way we played it. We don’t want to be stuck in situations where sets started being counted, games started being counted. Trying to avoid that scenario.

“Every match counts here. We’re trying to put the best duo that we have in the team to get the job done.”

Greece will complete group play against Great Britain on Monday evening.

Friday’s United Cup results

Saturday’s United Cup schedule

By the numbers

Maria Sakkari‘s straight-sets win over World No. 16 Naomi Osaka was her first against a Top-20 opponent since the Mubadala Citi DC Open last summer, when she defeated No. 11 Emma Navarro.

“Quotable …”

“It’s a big chance for me in my chase to start to compete early I can because I had some problems all the year with physical treatments and everything. So I want to start to play, of course represent my country, with these people, of course with my team, on this amazing tournament.

“Of course I will do my best on the matches I have to play or also supporting all the team. I just try to do my best in the matches and the practice, too, because in this tournament, we are preparing the Australian Open, also. We are all doing all the best.”

– Sebastian Baez of Argentina, during his team’s pre-tournament news conference on Thursday.

 

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