The 2026 United Cup quarterfinal ties in Sydney are set, solidifying the eight teams that advanced out of the group stage for the mixed-team event to begin the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.
On Thursday, Jan. 8, Belgium (Group B winner) faces Czechia (top runner-up), whose 4-2 record was the best among second-place finishers. Host nation Australia (Group D winner) will meet Poland (Group F winner) on Jan. 9. Both ties will begin at 5:30 pm local (1:30 am EST).
Poland, 2025 finalist, entered Wednesday’s tie against the Netherlands needing just one match win, and Hubert Hurkacz’s win over Tallon Griekspoor advanced the Polish to the quarterfinals. World No. 2 Iga Swiatek secured the lie with a win over Suzan Lamens.
Swiatek will square off against Australia No. 1 Maya Joint, who lost her lone singles match against Czechia’s Barbora Krejcikova. Joint did not compete against Norway because of illness.
Swiatek won their lone meeting, a simple 6-0, 6-2 win in the Seoul semifinals last season.
Belgium’s Elise Mertens will face two-time Grand Slam winner Krejcikova, who is 2-0 in singles at the tournament. Mertens enters off wins against Canada’s Victoria Mboko and China’s Zhu Lin, and this will be her first encounter with Krejcikova.
In the Perth quarterfinals Wednesday, top-seeded and defending champion United States battles Greece in the day session as Coco Gauff plays Maria Sakkari in singles. Switzerland meets Argentina in the evening, where Belinda Bencic squares off against Solana Sierra.
The Perth quarterfinal winners will have a travel and rest days from Jan. 8-9 before the semifinal ties on Jan. 10.
