United Cup 2027: dates, format, qualification and ranking points

The fifth United Cup opens the 2027 season from Friday 1 to Sunday 10 January in Perth and Sydney, with 18 national teams of men and women. The teams are not yet known: the entry deadline is 10 November 2026, and the last two places are settled on 16 and 23 November.

When and where is the United Cup 2027?

The group stage in Perth is played at the RAC Arena from 1 to 5 January, with both of the city's quarterfinals on 6 January. Sydney's group stage at Ken Rosewall Arena runs from 2 to 6 January, followed by quarterfinals on 7 and 8 January. Both semifinals are in Sydney on Saturday 9 January and the final on Sunday 10 January; teams coming from Perth get a travel and rest day before their semifinal.

The ATP's 2027 calendar places the event in week 1; Adelaide and Auckland follow from 11 January as the last ATP 250 events before the Australian Open, which starts on 17 January. Perth is three hours behind Sydney in January. The 2026 final started at 5:30 p.m. local time in Sydney, 6:30 a.m. GMT.

How does a United Cup tie work?

Each tie between two countries consists of three matches: a men's singles and a women's singles over the best of three tiebreak sets, and a mixed doubles of two sets, decided by a match tiebreak at one set all. In 2026 a team had up to three men and three women and a captain. Each city hosts nine teams in three groups. The group winners and the best runner-up in each city reach the quarterfinals, played in the same city; the four winners meet in Sydney.

The mixed doubles decides a tie whenever the singles are split. Germany won the 2024 title that way: Iga Świątek beat Angelique Kerber, Alexander Zverev saved two championship points against Hubert Hurkacz to win 6-7(3), 7-6(6), 6-4, and Zverev and Laura Siegemund took the mixed 6-4, 5-7, 10-4.

Poland also lost the 2025 final, to the United States, before winning the 2026 title against Switzerland: Jan Zieliński and Katarzyna Kawa took the deciding mixed 6-4, 6-3 after Hurkacz had levelled the tie against Stan Wawrinka.

How do countries qualify?

At the entry deadline of 10 November 2026, 4 a.m. in Sydney, ten countries qualify through the five highest-ranked men and the five highest-ranked women entered. Six more qualify the same day on the best combined ranking of each country's leading man and leading woman.

The seventh combined-ranking team is admitted on 16 November and the eighth on 23 November. Either place can instead go to a country not yet qualified that has entered a player from the WTA top 10 (on 16 November) or the ATP top 10 (on 23 November). Australia is guaranteed a place as host, on ranking or by wildcard. The organiser has set the draw for Thursday 12 November. In 2026 the ATP named the teams the day after the deadline.

Germany at the United Cup

Germany has played in all four editions since 2023. In 2026 its team was Zverev, Patrick Zahraj, Kevin Krawietz, Eva Lys, Siegemund and Mina Hodzic under Alexander Zverev Sr., and it went out in the group stage in Sydney after beating the Netherlands 3-0 and losing 0-3 to Poland. Whether Germany plays in 2027 is settled at the deadline.

What are the ranking points and prize money?

The event carries points on both tours, for singles wins only. The ATP's 2025 table awarded between 15 and 180 points a win, depending on the round and the opponent's ranking, so a player who beat five top-10 opponents on the way to the title earned the maximum of 500. The WTA lists the 2027 event as a WTA 500 with a maximum of 500 points.

For 2026 the ATP put the total at a minimum of US$11.81 million in prize money and participation fees, split evenly between the men and the women. For 2027 the WTA lists a commitment of US$6.20 million for its half. In the 2026 final a singles win was worth US$296,200. The ATP has published neither its 2027 points table nor its prize money. How the rest of the men's season is built is explained in our guide to the ATP Tour.