United Cup Final 2026: What to know about the Poland vs. Switzerland showdown

SYDNEY, Australia -- The 2026 United Cup final has arrived. The season-opening mixed-team event on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz will see Poland face Switzerland. 

After navigating group play, the quarterfinals and the semifinals, Switzerland and Poland emerged from the original 18-team field split between Perth and Sydney to reach the final. Switzerland will appear in its first United Cup final, while Poland is also chasing a first title after advancing to the championship match for the third straight year, this time eliminating the United States in the semifinals to avenge its 2025 final defeat.

From start times to order of play and previews, here is everything to know about Sunday’s final:

When and where is the United Cup final?

The final is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 11 at 5:30 p.m. local time (6:30 a.m. GMT, 1:30 a.m. EST). As with all Sydney ties, the final will be played at Ken Rosewall Arena at Sydney’s Olympic Park.

What is the order of play?

Following team introductions and national anthems, the order of play is as follows:

• Women's singles: Iga Swiatek (POL) v. Belinda Bencic (SUI)
• Men's singles: Hubert Hurkacz (POL) v. Stan Wawrinka (SUI)
• Mixed doubles: Swiatek/Hurkacz (POL) v. Bencic/Wawrinka (SUI)

Note: The mixed-doubles lineup is subject to change players. Poland has primarily utilized Jan Zielinski and Katarzyna Kawa while Switzerland has used their pairing of Bencic and Jakub Paul.

Who is on each team and how did they reach the final?

Poland (Sydney, Group F winner)

Captain: Mateusz Terczynski
Women's players: Iga Swiatek, Katarzyna Kawa, Katarzyna Piter
Men's players: Hubert Hurkacz, Daniel Michalski, Jan Zielinski

Results
• Group F: Win vs. Germany 3-0 -- Swiatek d. Eva Lys 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Group F: Win vs. Netherlands 3-0 -- Swiatek d. Suzan Lamens 6-3, 6-2
• Quarterfinal: Win vs. Australia 2-1 -- Swiatek d. Maya Joint 6-1, 6-1
• Semifinal: Win vs. United States 2-1 -- Coco Gauff d. Swiatek 6-4, 6-2

Switzerland (Perth, Group C winner)

Captain: Stan Wawrinka
Women's players: Belinda Bencic, Naima Karamoko
Men's players: Wawrinka, Jakub Paul, Luca Castelnuovo

Results
• Group C: Win vs. France 3-0 -- Bencic d. Leolia Jeanjean 6-2, 6-4
• Group C: Win vs. Italy 2-1 -- Bencic d. Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 6-3
• Quarterfinal: Win vs. Argentina 2-1 -- Bencic d. Solana Sierra 6-2, 6-2
• Semifinal: Win vs. Belgium -- Bencic d. Elise Mertens 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (0)

What are the rankings points and prize money at stake?

The United Cup is classified as a WTA 500 event. Ranking points are awarded only for singles victories and are not affected by mixed doubles results or the outcome of the tie. Prize money is paid per match win, with players earning compensation for both singles and mixed doubles, as well as additional team prize money.

In Sunday's final, a singles win will add an additional $296,200 in prize money while a mixed-doubles win adds $55,800. A team win will yield an extra $27,300 per player on the new champion's team.

In the PIF WTA Rankings, Bencic will earn 500 rankings points for the tournament with a singles win because she'd finish 5-0. She's currently at 325 with four singles wins. Swiatek, with three wins has earned 150 ranking points, but can improve that to 325 with a win over Bencic.

Below is the accrued earnings by the two singles women’s finalists.

Swiatek
Total: $209,600
Singles: $172,000
Team: $37,600
Current rankings points | Maximum: 150 | 325

Swiatek earned $45,000 for each of her two group stage wins and $82,000 for her quarterfinal win over Joint. 

Bencic
Total: $427,100
Singles: $327,900 
Mixed Doubles: $61,600 
Team: $37,600
Current rankings points | Maximum: 325 | 500

Bencic earned $45,000 for each of her two group stage wins, $82,000 for her quarterfinal win over Sierra and $155,900 for her semifinal win over Mertens. 

Championship preview

Bencic comes into Sunday's final with the most momentum, having not lost a match -- both singles and mixed doubles -- and has strung together an 8-0 record. From the group stage to the quarterfinal, the World No. 11 won all her singles matches in straight sets, including a top-10 win over Paolini. Alongside Paul, Bencic has won all her mixed-doubles matches, including three that have been deciders.

Bencic's last -- and only -- win against Swiatek came at the US Open in 2021 with a 7-6 (12), 6-3 win shortly after she won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The 2025 WTA Comeback Player of the Year eyes her first title of 2026 after wins in Abu Dhabi and Tokyo last season.

As for the Swiatek, the World No. 2 enters off a tough defeat to Gauff, but was salvaged by the rest of her team for a shot to compete with Bencic. Historically, Swiatek owns this head-to-head with a 5-1 advantage, and she's won the past four. Notably, the six-time Grand Slam champion knocked off Bencic 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-3 in the semifinals at Wimbledon last season, which Swiatek went on to win with a 6-0, 6-0 drubbing of Amanda Anisimova. 

Swiatek earned her 15th career singles win at the event by defeating Joint in Friday's quarterfinal. In two United Cup final appearances, Swiatek has split her two singles matches, defeating Germany's Angelique Kerber in 2024 but falling to Gauff in straight sets last year.