The USA tennis team won the third edition of the United Cup in Sydney. Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz decided the final against Poland before the mixed doubles with their individual victories. At the final in Brisbane, world number one Aryna Sabalenka secured tournament victory.
Last year, Germany triumphed at the national tournament with Alexander Zverev, and this time the team led by the second in the world rankings from Hamburg was in the quarterfinals. Zverev was missing from the defeat against Kazakhstan.
Gauff wins against Swiatek in two sets
The USA celebrated its second victory after the tournament premiere in 2023, when Fritz was also part of the team. The feared opponent of the top German player Zverev won his singles against Poland against the world number 16. Hubert Hurkacz 6:4, 5:7, 7:6 (7:4). Gauff had previously beaten five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek 6:4, 6:4. The match between number three and number two in the WTA ranking was a tough test for both of them for the upcoming Australian Open in Melbourne (from January 12th).
Undefeated in the individual
“I firmly believe that I am one of the best players in the world. When I play good tennis, it is difficult to beat me”said Gauff afterwards. At the United Cup, the 20-year-old remained unbeaten in all singles and is traveling to the first with a lot of self-confidence Grand Slam-Tournament of the season.
This also applies to Fritz (27), who worked his way up to fourth place in the world rankings after a strong year in 2024. He beat Zverev four times in a row, including at Wimbledon, at the US Open and at the season finale in Turin. In his first Grand Slam final in New York, however, he lost to tour dominator Jannik Sinner from Italy in three sets.
Brisbane: Lehecka benefits from abandonment again
In Brisbane, the tournament victory went to Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus and Jiri Lehecka. A week before the start of the Australian Open in Melbourne (from January 12th), Sabalenka prevailed in the final against the Russian Polina Kudermetowa 4:6, 6:3, 6:2 despite losing the first set of the tournament. “I feel my game is pretty good. Mentally and physically I’m ready for the Australian Open,” Sabalenka said happily. Sabalenka is aiming for her hat-trick of titles at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. She already triumphed on the hard courts at Melbourne Park in 2023 and 2024.
Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane final
At the men’s tournament in Brisbane, the Czech Lehecka (23) benefited twice from his opponents’ tasks in the semi-finals and final and took the second tournament victory of his career to Adelaide last year. On Saturday the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov initially gave up, on Sunday in the final Reilly Opelka was unable to continue when the score was 4-1 for Lehecka. The American sensationally beat Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.