PERTH, Australia — Prior to Japan’s press conference at the first media day of the United Cup in Perth, Naomi Osaka noticed Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic with her 1-year-old daughter on the court.
“I thought that was really, really cute, and it made me think of my daughter, as well,” Osaka said.
This offseason, Osaka prioritized spending time with her daughter, Shai.
After a 2025 season that saw Osaka rise from No. 57 to No. 16 in the PIF WTA Rankings, the four-time Grand Slam champion learned more about the balance of offseason training and her role as a mother.
“It’s definitely really tough,” Osaka said on finding that balance. “This offseason was quite difficult for me as well because you try to be there for her all the time. Obviously there are moments where you have to practice or have to do something. I hope that I’m managing or juggling it well.”
Since giving birth in July 2023, Osaka discussed how parenthood has shifted her mindset on the court. Prior, she said she was pretty hard on herself, often defining herself by wins and losses, but she’s come to understand the broader perspective that has helped her shift her thinking positively.
“It’s evolved my career by just shifting my mindset a lot,” Osaka said. “If you knew me before, I would take everything so seriously. I’m just taking it like every day is a new opportunity to do better. At the same time, I know that my biggest role isn’t a tennis player, it’s to be a mom to my daughter. I’m really happy that I was able to learn that, and I’m excited to see what more I can do.”
Playing in Group E featuring Greece and Great Britain, Osaka will face Maria Sakkari on Jan. 2 and Emma Raducanu on Jan. 4 in her first two singles matches of the 2026 season.
Sakkari’s fresh start in 2026
Around this time last year, Maria Sakkari was competing in the United Cup after an offseason filled with rehab from a shoulder injury that cut her 2024 season short. In May 2025, her ranking fell to No. 92 after starting the year seeded 31st at the Australian Open. Frankly, Sakkari felt the season was difficult.
Still, the 30-year-old climbed her way to just outside the top 50, and entered the offseason much healthier than a year prior.
“It was a very, very tough season last year. I’m not going to lie,” Sakkari said. “It wasn’t easy to handle, but at the same time, I feel like I learned a lot. I just had some time to recover and just think about the things I want to improve for this season.
“I had five weeks of very good practice and had time to put in a lot of work and just think of the things that I want to work on. It went really well, but the results will show how good of a work we did put [in].”
Sakkari said she’s confident she can get back to where she once was — the Greek reached a career-high rank of No. 3 back in 2022. She’s slated to face two Grand Slam champions in Osaka and Raducanu to begin her 2026 season. Though holding a 3-2 advantage in the head-to-head with Osaka, they haven’t faced since 2021, while Sakkari vies for her first career win over Raducanu.
“They’re very, very tough matches. Two very different players,” Sakkari said. “Naomi’s an ultra-aggressive player. She has been playing very good the second half of the season of last year. Emma, I have a negative record against her obviously I’m aware of that, but she’s a solid player. Both of them are very tough to play.
“As I said, I’ve worked on things. I’m going to try and deliver them on the court and see how it goes.”
Sierra, Bouzas Maneiro reflect on 2025 strides
Argentina’s Solana Sierra and Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro will face World No. 3 Coco Gauff for the first time when their respective countries meet in Group A in Perth. It’s a tall, but opportunistic task for both players who made strides over the 2025 season.
Bouzas Maneiro enters Perth at a career-high rank of No. 41. The Spaniard had a successful summer where she reached the quarterfinals at the National Bank Open in Montreal and Round of 16 at Wimbledon and Cincinnati.
“I think that I believe more in myself,” Bouzas Maneiro said. “I believe that I can won more matches against other players and top players in the world. That was of the main point for me last year.”
Bouzas Maneiro said she’s expecting to advance further in tournaments more consistently, and continue to compete against the world’s best. She’ll open her third United Cup campaign against Sierra on Friday, before squaring off against Gauff.
“[I’ll] play against two amazing players,” Bouzas Maneiro said. “[I’ve known] Solana since years ago, we practiced a lot together so I know that it’s going to be a tough match. Of course, we will be ready for it. Coco is one of the best players in the world. I’m really excited to play against her and to see where is my level.”
Sierra’s 2025 campaign saw the 21-year-old ascend from outside the top 150 to No. 66, catapulted by a Round of 16 run at Wimbledon, where she was the first lucky loser to do so. She also won a WTA 125 title in Mallorca, Spain and WTT 75 title in Bellinzona, Switzerland, boosting her to the No. 1 Argentinian.
“I think it was a great year for me,” said Sierra, who is making her debut at the United Cup. “I did a lot of good results that I wanted. I’m really excited to start the year here. I think it’s a really good preparation.”
Following the United Cup and the WTA 250 in Hobart, Sierra will make her main draw debut at the Australian Open. She’s competed in qualifying the past two years, but lost both her first-round qualifiers.
“It’s [my] first time I am playing in main draw, first experience for me, all new. But yeah, super happy. I will try my best on every tournament.”
A rare, but enjoyable format
The United Cup offers a unique way for players to begin their seasons with a team competition, where one loss in singles or mixed-doubles might not eliminate them from the competition.
“We’ve been playing for the last four years since the event started,” said Sakkari, who has played at every edition of the United Cup. “It seems like we kind of like it. It’s our third time in Perth, which we really enjoy playing here of course. We like the team spirit because we rarely have it during the year.”
Osaka has watched the United Cup on television the past couple of years, and said she’s always wanted to play in it. She was originally slated to compete at the ASB Classic in Auckland this week, but withdrew to represent Japan in the country’s debut at the event.
“I think for me, just it being such a good team atmosphere. I’ve always kind of watched United Cup on the TV,” Osaka said. “I’ve wanted to play for a long time.
“That’s another important part of playing United Cup, being able to play the best players in the world straight off the bat, which I think is a privilege. I really enjoy matches like that.”
