Here is everything you need to know about the 2024 United Cup, which kicks off next week:

When is the tournament?

The United Cup is an 18-team, mixed-team competition. The 10-day tournament begins on Dec. 29 and will be played across two cities, Sydney (Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre) and Perth (RAC Arena). 

Perth’s RAC Arena will host the first day of the United Cup on Friday, Dec. 29, with the group stage in Sydney beginning on Saturday, Dec. 30. 

Teams in Sydney will play on outdoor hard courts. Perth will feature an indoor hard court. Both venues will use the Dunlop Australian Open balls.

What is the format?

Each city will host nine teams, with each team comprised of three men and three women. Ties are comprised of one men's singles match, one women's singles match and one mixed doubles match.
 
Each city will host three groups of three countries, competing in a round-robin format. Group winners in each city will advance to the quarterfinals, with one quarterfinal spot in each city awarded to the best runner-up in that city. 
 
Winners progress to the semifinals and finals in Sydney. Teams advancing from Perth will receive a travel day and rest day on Jan. 4 and 5.

The semifinals will be played on Saturday, Jan. 6 and the final will be played on Sunday, Jan. 7.

How have the groups been drawn?

United Cup countries

The groups were drawn in October. Here's where each of the 18 teams will play:

Perth

Group A: Poland, Spain, Brazil
Group C: United States, Great Britain, Australia
Group E: Czech Republic, China, Serbia

Sydney

Group D: Greece, Canada, Chile
Group E: France, Italy, Germany
Group F: Croatia, Netherlands, Norway

For a full breakdown of the draw and participants, click here. 

Notable storylines

Stars descend on Western Australia: Perth features a deep field, including a Polish team led by World No.1 Iga Swiatek. No.11 Beatriz Haddad Maia returns for Brazil and have been drawn into Group A with Poland. Group C will have three Grand Slam nations go toe to toe. Defending champions Team USA, led by No.5 Jessica Pegula, will take on Great Britain and the home squad, Australia. 

Group E will see Marketa Vondrousova lead the Czech squad against Zheng Qinwen's China squad. 

Kerber returns to competition: Former No.1 Angelique Kerber will make her competitive return for Germany in Sydney. Kerber is set to play her first event since becoming a mother. Germany has landed in a tough Group E with last year's finalists Italy and France. 

Canada makes its United Cup debut: Leylah Fernandez looks to build on her strong finish to the 2023 season, where she won 12 of her last 13 matches to capture the title in Hong Kong and semifinals in Nanchang. She also led Canada to its first Billie Jean King Cup title. Canada has landed in a group that includes a Maria Sakkari-led Greece squad.

What is the prize money and rankings points on offer?

The total prize money pool for the United Cup is $10 million, split equally between the ATP and WTA. Individual prize money is based on ranking, match-wins and team wins. No points will be awarded for mixed doubles.

A player can earn a maximum of 500 points for the week, depending on their ranking.