PERTH/WASHINGTON, January 7, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
With the United States-Greece United Cup quarterfinal level at 1-all, Wednesday afternoon’s tie between the two undefeated nations at RAC Arena came down to the deciding mixed doubles rubber. By the end of the afternoon in Perth, after defending champion Team USA had secured a 2-1 tie victory, one thing was certain: Coco Gauff had come to play – and play she did.
Gauff and Christian Harrison rallied the American hopes and kept them in contention for a third United Cup trophy in the four-edition history of the mixed-team event. They came from a set down and held off the charge of Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari in a match tie-break to win, 4-6, 6-4, 10-8, in an hour and 30 minutes. Gauff and Harrison prevailed on their third match point. They outpointed their Greek opponents 71-63.
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With their third victory of this year’s United Cup – all decided by mixed doubles – Team USA advanced to Saturday’s semifinals against either Australia or Poland, which plays its quarterfinal tie on Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney on Friday evening.
“I’m really happy that we’re able to move through,” Gauff said during her on-court interview. She and Harrison, who are playing together for the first time at the United Cup, have strung together three straight victories. “I felt I was playing really good today and that Christian was playing very well as well, and I knew that once we got some opportunities it would eventually swing out way.”
Undefeated in doubles pic.twitter.com/fLyFFxZf6Y
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
World No. 3 Gauff got the U.S. off to a good start by defeating the 51st-ranked Sakkari, 6-3, 6-2, in 85 minutes. After struggling with her serve in her previous match against Spain’s 42nd-ranked Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, in which she suffered 14 double faults, Gauff won 68 percent of her service points and nearly half of her return points against Sakkari. She converted four of seven break points, made only six double faults, and outpointed her opponent 64-45. Gauff never trailed during the quarterfinal rubber. It was Sakkari’s first defeat after previously defeating World No. 16 Naomi Osaka of Japan and 29th-ranked Emma Raducanu of Great Britain during group play.
“Definitely a much better match today,” Gauff said during her on-court interview after beating Sakkari for the third straight time and garnering her sixth win in 11 meetings. “Last match, I just tried to erase it. That’s the beauty of this tournament, and having a team like Taylor [Fritz] and Christian [Harrison] that gave me the chance to stay in the tournament and be able to prove myself better today. So definitely happy to give my team the lead today.”
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However, the American’s lead was short-lived. That’s because Tsitsipas earned his first Top-10 victory in more than 18 months when he beat World No. 9 Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 7-5, in an hour and 21 minutes. The Greek star won 80 percent of his first-serve points, saved both break points he faced and outpointed Fritz 60-56.
“I was fighting for the team and it was such a great match from my end,” Tsitsipas said on-court afterward after evening the tie at 1-all. “It’s pretty straight forward when you are 0-1 down; I was aware of the level I needed to bring onto the court today. I felt I owed it to my team.
“Before I went to bed last night I was already visualizing how the match was going to go. I was already playing it in my mind and I’m so happy to win exactly the way I planned. I was especially pleased with my serve and how I dealt with the pressure moments with a clear head.”
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The victory left Tsitsipas with a 9-2 lifetime win-loss record in United Cup singles play. It was his first win over a Top-10 foe since defeating No. 5 Alexander Zverev of Germany, No. 2 Jannik Sinner of Italy and No. 10 Casper Ruud of Norway to win the 2024 Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title.
By the end of the tie, after Gauff and Harrison fought past Tsitsipas and Sakkari, it was the United States celebrating and preparing to head to Sydney for the semifinal round.
“They fought exceptionally hard like they do. The support from the whole team was amazing,” U.S. team captain Michael Russell said during his team’s post-tie news conference . “It literally came down to one point, and that’s what we did the last three matches. Everyone gets behind one another, and [I’m] really proud how everyone played.
“You know, at the end of the day, we’re going to Sydney.”
A quarter final battle that had it all pic.twitter.com/TxV7f4rYB9
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
Bencic-Paul deliver Switzerland quarterfinal victory
Belinda Bencic bookended Switzerland’s 2-1 United Cup quarterfinal victory over Argentina by winning her singles match, then returning later on to team with Jakub Paul to clinch a straight-set triumph in the decisive mixed doubles rubber at RAC Arena in Perth.
World No. 11 Bencic improved to 3-0 on the young season with her 6-2, 6-2 win over Argentina’s Solana Sierra in an hour and 17 minutes. Bencic won all but four points on her first serve and saved all three break points she faced from the 66th-ranked Argentine. She broke Sierra four times in seven tries and outpointed her opponent 66-40.
Since returning from maternity leave toward the end of the 2024 season, Bencic has risen in the WTA Rankings from No. 421 a year ago to No. 11. She’s also won titles at Abu Dhabi and Tokyo and was a semifinalist at last summer’s Wimbledon Championships. In Perth, Bencic has recorded wins over 102nd-ranked Leolia Jeanjean of France, World No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy and Sierra, all in straight sets.
Can’t stop, won’t stop @BelindaBencic defeats Sierra 6-2 6-2 to give Team Switzerland the perfect start in the quarterfinal. pic.twitter.com/f8rFNdy5v4
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
Playing so well in Perth has brought back good memories for Bencic. The RAC Arena is where she won a pair Hopman Cup titles for Switzerland in 2018 and 2019 teamed with Roger Federer.
“Yeah, it’s really one of my favorite memories to come back to and to remember,” she said during her team’s post-tie news conference. “It’s really nice that I can come back and still play great tennis here after a few years.
“Of course, I really love the team events here. I feel like people here really support, and they are so excited about it. … It’s definitely been great support. I love the stadium.”
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Following Bencic’s opening win in singles, Argentina leveled the tie after No. 43 Sebastian Baez eased past 156th-ranked Swiss captain Stan Wawrinka, 7-5, 6-4, in one hour and 38 minutes.
Baez withstood 11 aces by Wawrinka, who is 1-2 in singles play at the United Cup to start his final year on the ATP Tour before retiring. He saved all five break points he faced from the Swiss star and outpointed his opponent 73-66. It was the third victory of the United Cup for Baez, who previously beat No. 38 Jaume Munar of Spain and World No. 9 Taylor Fritz of the United States.
“It was a tough match, of course,” Wawrinka said during his team’s post-tie news conference. “I think he played well. He went for it.
“Tonight, I missed a few opportunities to come back or to take the lead. I was thinking a little bit too much on what to do, but mainly because he was putting so much pressure on me. He was always doing the right thing and always there. So, credit to him for playing that well tonight.”
Understood the assignment
Sebastian Baez defeats Wawrinka 7-5 6-4 to keep Team Argentina’s hopes alive. pic.twitter.com/k3WFBrn7zU
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
Later, Bencic and Paul secured Switzerland’s berth in Saturday’s semifinals round in Sydney with their 75-minute 6-3, 6-3 win over Maria Lourdes Carle and Guido Andreozzi. They combined for 27 winners, converted five of eight break-point chances and outscored their opponents 61-42.
“I think it was Kubi who was really leading the way,” Bencic said during an on-court interview with the rest of her Swiss teammates surrounding her. “He was setting up everything. He played simply amazing and it’s just incredible how he handled the pressure. Really happy to play with him for the third time. We’re still lucky, so let’s go.”
One last memory from Perth Team Switzerland will never forget pic.twitter.com/1yDeI2zvQK
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
Looking back, Wawrinka said it was “amazing” to still be in contention for the United Cup titles as Switzerland will pack up and board an airplane for Sydney, where they will meet either Belgium or Czechia in the semifinals on Saturday.
“We love [the fans] this week. Thank you so much for being here. We appreciate it,” he said. “It’s my first time here [in Perth]. I really enjoyed my week. We are super of the team. We have great energy. We all agree that we have an MVP in Kubi and we all are living in Belinda’s world. We are enjoying that and hopefully we bring it all to Sydney.”
From first ball to final point
How Team Switzerland sealed their place in the semifinals. pic.twitter.com/LP0cROWPpA
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
Hurkacz clinches Poland quarterfinal berth
With two-time United Cup runner-up Poland virtually assured of finishing on top in Group F – it needed to win just one of the three rubbers in its tie against the Netherlands on Wednesday afternoon in Sydney – Hubert Hurkacz wasted little time in garnering for the Polish the final quarterfinal berth still up for grabs.
By the end of the afternoon, Poland had won all three rubbers for a 3-0 shutout victory over the Netherlands.
From the start of Hurkacz’s match against Tallon Griekspoor, the Polish star fired three consecutive aces and held serve with a solid forehand winner. It was an indicator of good things to come for the former World No. 6 now ranked 83rd, who missed the second half of the 2025 season due to an injury to his right knee that required arthroscopic surgery. By the conclusion of their one-hour, 22-minute tussle, Hurkacz had amassed 21 service aces, dropped just four points on his first serve and faced no break points. It all added up to an impressive 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over the 25th-ranked Dutch No. 1.
CLINICAL
Hubert Hurkacz’s brilliant start to 2026 continues, as he gives Team Poland the perfect start to the day pic.twitter.com/qVKJFzTaQh
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
“Definitely didn’t know how I was going to start the season. Haven’t played for seven months, so you don’t really know what to expect,” Hurkacz said during his on-court interview. “I was playing okay in practice, but practice is so different from the match when you have so many emotions, you have fans around. I’m quite positively surprised and pleased with that performance out there.”
Hurkacz has strung together back-to-back impressive wins in Sydney this week, which included an earlier victory over World No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany, in which he fired 21 service aces. He has 42 aces through his first two matches.
“After such a long period you’re just so excited to be out there and it also gives you a different perspective on things,” Hurkacz added after outpointing Griekspoor 68-46. “I think that’s why I’m able to perform maybe better and even stay calm in the difficult moments.”
With Poland’s place in the last eight assured by Hurkacz’s heroics, it took the pressure off of World No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who followed her Polish teammate on court and walked off with an easy 6-3, 6-2 win over 97th-ranked Suzan Lamens in 72 minutes.
“I feel like after first few games I improved my level, and I was more precise with my footwork,” Swiatek said during Poland’s post-tie news conference. “So I think it was an improvement comparing to the last match.”
Iga makes it 2 from 2 for Poland pic.twitter.com/h0eeMMT8TY
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
After group play, Poland has strung together two impressive 3-0 shutouts, against Germany and the Netherlands. Both Hurkacz and Swiatek are 2-0 in singles.
Swiatek added: “Hubi also played amazing, you know, so I can come out on the court with big confidence, because he already kind of put us in the quarterfinals. So I could just play freely.”
Clean sweep
Team Poland sprint towards the Quarterfinals pic.twitter.com/KQPaAKrD02
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 7, 2026
Poland completed its sweep of the Netherlands in mixed doubles as Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zielinski defeated Demi Schuurs and David Pel, 6-3, 3-6, 10-4, in one hour and 22 minutes to earn their second victory of the mixed-team event.
Next, Poland will face Group D winner Australia in the quarterfinal round on Ken Rosewall Arena Friday evening.
By the numbers
Former World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, now ranked 34th, finished United Cup play with a 3-0 win-loss record in singles. His 6-4, 7-5 victory over World No. 9 Taylor Fritz of the United States was his first against a Top-10 opponent in more than 18 months. He’s now 4-2 lifetime against the American No. 1.
“Quotable …”
“For me personally, I always love the team events. I like the fact that – obviously as well – I think it’s good because we’re all coming off of an off-season. Showing up here, you’re guaranteed to get the two matches. If I’m playing somewhere else, I show up and lose that first match, I don’t get a chance to play again. Now, I get to play another one.”
– Taylor Fritz of the United States, during his team’s post-tie news conference, after the U.S. defeated Greece 2-1 to advance to the United Cup semifinals this weekend.
