A focused Alex de Minaur sent Santa a sparse wish list before Christmas.
This holiday season, de Minaur isn't hoping for new golf clubs, an Xbox or electronics.
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The energetic Aussie covets the Cup.
“Maybe Santa will give us some great results in the United Cup," told the Australian media ahead of this week's United Cup launch.
"That’s all we care about.”
Australia ended 2022 as runner-up in both the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup finals.
Now, two stalwarts from those squads—de Minaur and Ajla Tomljanovic—as well as Nick Kyrgios, John Peers, Samantha Stosur, Jason Kubler and Maddison Inglis join forces to lead Australia in the inaugural United Cup.
The ATP and WTA unite to create the United Cup, a new mixed team event that will feature men's singles, women's singles mixed doubles. The ATP-WTA event, presented in partnership with Tennis Australia, recalls the ITF's former Hopman Cup.
It features teams from 18 countries split into six groups of three nations apiece competing across Brisbane, Perth and Sydney over 11 days, from Thursday, December 29, 2022 to Sunday, January 8, 2023.
The event consists of a two-match round-robin stage for every country, with the two group winners in each city squaring off for a place in the semifinals (of the three runners-up, the country with the best overall record will become the fourth semifinalist).
Tennis Channel will provide coverage of the United Cup starting on Wednesday, December 28 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Australia resides alongside Spain and Great Britain in a tough Group D that will be staged in Sydney. De Minaur, who skipped extensive Christmas celebration to train on Ken Rosewall court, is pumped for the new event.
“It’s pretty amazing what we were able to accomplish in team events this year,” said de Minaur in comments published by Tennis Australia. “And Team Australia, we’ve got a lot of pride, a lot of passion. I can’t wait to share this court with [Tomljanovic]."
The United Cup also offers a potential playing reunion of Tomljanovic and Kyrgios, who once dated.
The new competition features a unique twist as both Davis Cup captain and former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt and Stosur share the captain's chair for the green-and-gold.
“Sam is like a really wise sister," Tomljanovic said. "I remember when I first came on tour she was so nice to me and I was so intimidated by her and nervous around her and she ended up being the nicest person ever,” Tomljanovic noted of Stosur. “And just to have her, for my Fed Cup debut, she was there and gave me a pep talk even though I did not do well first day.
“She’s been really a great role model and to have her on the bench and part of the team it’s going to be amazing.”
Disparate personalities of the fiery Hewitt and stoic Stosur has created what de Minaur sees as a healthy balance for the players.
“Lleyton’s going to bring a lot of fire. We’re going to very fired up – whether it’s on the bench or on the side of the court, so I think we’ll get a healthy balance,” de Minaur said. “It seems like Sam is calm and collected, more reserved, very wise.
"And then we’ve got Lleyton, who’s fiery, in-your-face and passionate.”
Photo credit: Getty/Tennis Australia