The United Cup — the ATP Cup’s successor — is returning for 2025.

National teams will be going head-to-head as some of the sport’s biggest names compete in the mixed warm-up event ahead of the Australian Open. 

The Sporting News takes you through what we know so far.

MORE: Who won the United Cup last year?

When is the United Cup 2025? Schedule, dates, venues

Just like the previous edition, the upcoming United Cup tournament will be held in two Australian cities – Perth and Sydney.

The event will begin in late 2024 and is scheduled to finish in early 2025.

The action will kick off with the group stage at Perth’s RAC Arena on December 27 before Sydney host their group stage matches from December 28. 

Quarter-finals are scheduled in Perth for January 1 and 2, while Sydney will host theirs on January 2 and 3.

Both semi-finals and the final will take place in Sydney on January 4 and 5.

How does the United Cup work?

The United Cup is a mixed tennis tournament, played in a team competition format. 

Eighteen countries will take part in the 2025 event, with Sydney and Perth set to host nine teams each.

Countries will be placed into six groups of three before facing off in a round-robin format.

Each tie will comprise one men’s singles, one women’s singles and one mixed doubles match.

The three group winners in each city will progress to the quarterfinals, joined by the best runner-up. Sydney will then host both the semi-finals and final.

As a combined ATP-WTA event, a significant amount of prize money is expected to be on offer. Last year, AU$15 million was up for grabs, as well as 1000 combined rankings points.

How are countries selected for the United Cup?

Countries for the tournament will selected from the nations of the top five men’s and women’s players, according to ATP and WTA rankings.

The eight remaining teams will then earn entry based on combined men’s and women’s rankings.

There is a second qualification phase added for 2025, though. If a new player enters the top 10 (maximum 1 ATP and 1 WTA player), their team, if eligible, will be accepted, with the lowest-ranked existing team making way.

United Cup 2025: Draw, groups, players, seeds

Nations and their respective players are yet to be confirmed for 2025, although Australia are guaranteed entry.

For the first 16 teams, the tournament’s entry deadline is October 16.

The last two teams will be decided after the second qualification date of November 19.

United Cup 2025: How to buy tickets

Tickets for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in Sydney are currently on sale via Ticketek.

Quarter-final tickets in Perth are also available.

Fans will be able to secure seats for the group stage (both cities) in late October.

How to watch the United Cup 2025

Details are yet to be confirmed for 2025, but in previous years, fans have been able to watch most sessions across Nine’s free-to-air channels, including Channel 9, Go! and 9Gem.

In the past, the action has also been streamed for free on 9Now and via subscription service Stan Sport.

What happened to the ATP Cup?

Replacing the Hopman Cup in 2020, the ATP Cup lasted just three years.

A male-only tournament, it pitted nations together in a team competition format. 

Ultimately, the ATP Cup was replaced due to the increasing cooperation between the men’s and women’s tennis tours — the ATP and WTA. 

The significant prize pool for the United Cup reflects the backing mixed tournaments are receiving, as tennis prioritises efforts towards equality.