Best of United Cup Sydney Media Day 1: Pivotal mixed doubles, exploring Down Under

The United Cup's mixed-doubles match to close each session makes it unique for players and the competition as a whole for a few reasons.

First, captains can choose from a variety of combinations, having up to three men's and three women's players at their disposal. Secondly, it simply offers players a chance to play mixed doubles at event that isn't a Grand Slam.

Lastly, if countries split the men's and women's singles matches which are always played first, the mixed-doubles match will determine the winner of the tie. In last year's United Cup, 12 of the 18 group-stage ties were decided by the mixed-doubles match.

"We only play mixed doubles in the Grand Slams and here in the United Cup," Norway's Ulrikke Eikeri said at the first media day at the United Cup in Sydney. "It's different. It's different to play with the guys. In one way it's more fun. I think I enjoy it a little bit more."

Many of the WTA Tour's top doubles players -- Sara Errani (Italy), Elise Mertens (Belgium), Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) -- are among those playing at the United Cup that could be asked to play in that mixed doubles match. The same two players do not have to play in all mixed doubles matches for their team. 

Mertens, ranked No. 5 in doubles, is one of the top doubles players on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz. Alongside Veronika Kudermetova, Mertens won her second WTA Finals doubles championship in Riyadh to close the 2025 season. 

"It's very nice because I've never really played mixed doubles, except for last time at the United Cup, too. But it's been three years ago," Mertens said at the first media day at the United Cup in Sydney. "Very happy that it is an important point, if it's 1-1 of course. I think it's a lot of fun, especially playing in this format as a team."

Joint battling an illness

Maya Joint has come down with an illness ahead of her appearance at the United Cup in Sydney.

Joint, whose 2025 season saw her rise from outside the top 100 to No. 32 in the world, is currently slated to face Norway's Malene Helgø on Jan. 3 and Czechia's Barbora Krejcikova on Jan. 5 in Group D. She's currently resting and recovering, Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt said, but they'll reevaluate if the time comes. 

Maddison Inglis and Storm Hunter are also on the team and can be called upon to take Joint's spot if needed.

"I haven't spoken to her because she's resting," Hewitt said. "Just trying to get as much sleep and rest as possible today. Hopefully it's only a 24-hour thing and she can bounce back tomorrow.

"She hit well yesterday. Confidence-wise, I don't think myself or the team are too worried about how she's hitting the ball and moving and playing at the moment. We're trying to give her the best chance of having 100% energy when she goes out there to play. Fingers crossed she gets the chance."

Joint's had a monumental 2025 season that included her first two WTA Tour titles in Rabat and Eastbourne. In the latter, she defeated rising star Alexandra Eala by saving four championship points in the final. 

"I definitely didn't expect to end up this high in the rankings," Joint told wtatennis.com from Brisbane a couple weeks ago. "It’s definitely a pleasant surprise. Just the way that my season was going, I was playing some really good tennis and just having consistently good results on all surfaces.

"I definitely didn't think I was going to get to 32. Didn't think I would end the season as the No. 1 Aussie, that's for sure."

Exploring Down Under

With the United Cup's host cities of Perth and Sydney, it allows players to discover a new area of Australia, given that many tournaments take place elsewhere in the country such as Brisbane, Adelaide and then Melbourne for the Australian Open. 

In Perth, Great Britain, Italy and Japan had the opportunity to explore Rottnest Island. On the East Coast, China ventured to the Sydney Zoo and Sydney Opera House.

"It's my second time in Sydney. First time was long, long time ago," China's Zhu Lin said. "I really liked the harbor in Sydney. We didn't get the chance to see the fireworks unfortunately. We went the other night at the Opera House. It was super pretty. We hope we get to see a lot more in the next few days."

Zhu, ranked No. 168, will have singles matches in Group B against Canada's Victoria Mboko and Belgium's Mertens, both of which are top 20 players. 

In other activities, Poland explored the harbor, Germany took a dip into Wylie's baths and Norway went surfing. 

"It was really fun to try," said Norway's Casper Ruud. "Never really understood the hype around surfing. Having done it myself now, I can really understand why people find it so fun.

"We don't have any sort of waves or these things in Norway unless you go really far up north. I never had a meeting with a surfboard and the waves. It was much more fun than I expected."