Brazil and Chile have qualified for the United Cup, completing the 18-team line-up for the 2024 event.
Brazil qualified on the strength of their top WTA player Beatriz Haddad Maia, the current world No.11 who closed her 2023 season on a high note with victory at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai.
She cracked the Top 10 in June shortly after Roland Garros, where she enjoyed her best Grand Slam result with a run to the semi-finals.
Haddad Maia will be joined by teammates Marcelo Melo, Thiago Seyboth Wild, Felipe Meligeni Alves and Carolina Alves.
Team Brazil has landed in Group A – headed by No.1 seed Poland – and will play its matches at RAC Arena in Perth. This sets up a showdown between Haddad Maia and World No.1 Iga Swiatek, a rematch of their Roland Garros semi-final.
“I'm happy to be able to participate in the United Cup once again,” Haddad Maia said.
“It's a special competition and it will be a pleasure to play in Perth again after a few years. I'm excited and motivated to play and learn with the Brazilian team during the week.”
[SWEEPSTAKES]
This is Brazil’s second appearance at the United Cup, after exiting in the group stages of the inaugural 2023 event.
Chile qualified thanks to Nicolas Jarry, the 28-year-old who enjoyed a career-best season on Tour and soared into the world’s Top 20.
Jarry won ATP Tour titles in Santiago and Geneva before reaching the fourth round at Roland Garros, performances which helped push him to a career-high No.19 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in November.
He headlines a Chilean squad also featuring Tomas Barrios Vera, Alejandro Tabilo, Daniela Seguel and Fernanda Labrana.
In its United Cup debut, Team Chile will play matches at Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena as part of Group B, a strong group also containing second seeds Greece and Canada.
Perth will host the first day of the United Cup on Friday 29 December, with the group stage in Sydney beginning on Saturday 30 December.
Each tie will be determined in one session and will include one men’s singles and one women’s singles match featuring the No.1 ranked singles players, followed by one mixed doubles match.
Group winners in each city advance to the quarter-finals, with one quarter-final spot in each city awarded to the best runner-up in that city.
In Perth, the quarter-finals will be played on Wednesday 3 January and in Sydney, the quarterfinals will be played across Thursday 4 and Friday 5 January.
Winners will progress to the semi-finals and finals at Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 January. Teams travelling from Perth to Sydney will have a travel day and rest day before their semifinal.
Teams are competing for AUD $15 million in prize money and 500 Pepperstone ATP and 500 WTA Tour Rankings points.
The United Cup is an ATP-WTA event presented in partnership with Tennis Australia.
Group stage adult prices start from $40 and from $20 for children 3-12 years of age. Family passes (two adults and two children) start from $100. Visit UnitedCup.com/tickets to purchase tickets and follow @UnitedCupTennis on social media for all the latest tournament news.
