At first glance, Saturday’s United Cup meeting between Team USA’s Coco Gauff and Solana Sierra of Argentina might suggest something of a level playing field.
They are both 21 and made their first marks at majors by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. Gauff had 48 wins in 2025 and Sierra — one of the season’s most pleasant surprises — won 46.
But those numbers can be deceiving. Gauff is ranked No. 3 among WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz players, and Sierra is 63 spots down the ladder.
Gauff broke through at Wimbledon as a 15-year-old and has already collected two Grand Slam singles titles. Last year — six years after Coco’s fourth-round run at Wimbledon — Sierra reached that stage as a lucky loser at the All England Club, and won eight of 10 matches at three WTA 125 tournaments to close out her season.
Gauff and Sierra have never played.
United Cup: Scores | Standings
“It’s always tricky playing someone you never played before,” Gauff told reporters in Perth. “Solana, I know she can serve well. Feisty player, so I know I have to compete for each point.”
It’s the second day of United Cup play in Perth, with Team USA playing Argentina — which picked up a win over Spain on Day 1 — and France squaring off against Switzerland. Meanwhile, Sydney’s United Cup play opens with Belgium vs. China, followed by Australia against Norway.
Sierra knows what she’s up against.
“I think it’s going to be tough matches,” she said. “They are top players, but I like these matches. I think it’s good to see the level.”
That level will be challenging. Gauff was 5-0 in last year’s United Cup and helped Team USA take its second title in three years.
“Last year I remember being super nervous, because I didn’t want to let anyone down,” Gauff said. “But I was able to come out of that and do pretty well. I’m hoping to be able to do the same. I think for me, coming off preseason and being able to start the year in a team environment, it’s like the perfect mix of pressure and having fun.”
Comeback Player of the Year Belinda Bencic will also face a first-time opponent in Leolia Jeanjean. The surging Bencic finished the season at No. 11 after becoming a mother in 2024.
“Obviously, I think last year went really well,” Bencic said. “You know, above our expectations, really. I definitely hope to carry it with me to 2026.”
Jeanjean, 30, had a terrific season, posting 47 victories in mostly ITF and WTA 125 events. This is her third United Cup, but first as the leading singles player.
“It’s really a big pleasure to be able to play, to be able to play against such good players,” Jeanjean said. “It’s really good.”
Day 2 schedule: Perth, RAC Arena
Group C
France (0-0) vs. Switzerland (0-0)
Start Time: 10 a.m. local, 9 p.m. ET
Women’s singles: Leolia Jeanjean vs. Belinda Bencic
Men’s singles: Arthur Rinderknech vs. Stan Wawrinka
Mixed doubles: Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah and Edouard Roger-Vasselin vs. Bencic and Wawrinka
Group A
United States (0-0) vs. Argentina (1-0)
Start Time: Not before 5 p.m. local, 4 a.m. ET
Women’s singles: Coco Gauff vs. Solana Sierra
Men’s singles: Taylor Fritz vs. Sebastian Baez
Mixed doubles: Gauff and Fritz vs. Maria Lourdes Carle and Guido Andreozzi
Highlights: Sierra edges Bouzas Maneiro at United Cup 2026
United Cup play kicks off in Sydney
At Ken Rosewall Arena, it’s a 30-something meeting between Elise Mertens of Belgium and China’s Zhu Lin. Mertens holds a 3-1 head-to-head edge, but they haven’t played since 2021 Wimbledon.
Mertens is a versatile player; she and Veronika Kudermetova were doubles champions at the recent WTA Finals in Riyadh. Nevertheless, she doesn’t have a ton of experience playing mixed doubles.
“Very happy that it is an important point, if it’s 1-all, of course,” Mertens told reporters, before offering some guidance to her partner, Zizou Bergs. “Some tips? Your energy is big and I like it. We have to be at the net, great serve. Just have some fun, too.”
“Valuable tips,” Bergs responded. “Thank you.”
In the opening tie, Australian teenager Maya Joint is scheduled to take on Norway’s Malene Helgo. Joint won their only meeting, in a 2024 ITF W50 event in Slovenia. Joint is a rising star, already ranked No. 32 — more than 300 spots ahead of Helgo.
Joint has been feeling a little under the weather, but Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt is optimistic that she’ll be good to go.
“Hopefully it’s only a 24-hour thing and she can bounce back tomorrow,” he said. “She hit well yesterday. Yeah, fingers crossed she gets the chance.”
Day 2 schedule: Sydney, Ken Rosewall Arena
Group D
Australia (0-0) vs. Norway (0-0)
Start Time: 10:30 a.m. local, 2:30 a.m. ET
Women’s singles: Maya Joint vs. Malene Helgo
Men’s singles: Alex de Minaur vs. Casper Ruud
Mixed doubles: Storm Hunter and John-Patrick Smith vs. Ulrikke Eikeri and Ruud
Group A
Belgium (0-0) vs. China (0-0)
Start Time: Not before 5 p.m. local, 4 a.m. ET
Women’s singles: Elise Mertens vs. Zhu Lin
Men’s singles: Zizou Bergs vs. Zhang Zhizhen
Mixed doubles: Mertens and Bergs vs. Zhu and Zhang
