Former Ukrainian Star Makes Controversial Grand Slam statement Stating Novak Djokovic Has no Better Chance Than Alexander Zverev calling the rivalry and game “NO POINT” Due To…
Novak Djokovic still had a great season despite not winning a Grand Slam once again. The legendary Serbian is World No.4 and given the stranglehold of the top two in Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, it is unlikely to change anytime soon. But Serhiy Stakhovsky who formerly played at the top level sees his chances of winning another as more likely than Alexander Zverev.
Zverev has long been seen as the next cab off the rank so to speak when it comes to Grand Slam success but has flattered to deceive thus far when it comes to his own title chances. He had the World No.1 begging at the start of the year when Sinner was banned and Alcaraz wasn’t as dominant as he is now.
Zverev falls short
He went to the Golden Swing in South America and only had to win a few games to fulfill his ambition. But in reality, it proved to be a bit of a damp squibb and he is now close to World No.1500 than he is World No.1. But despite reaching multiple Grand Slam finals and even being ahead in them, he is yet to win one and given the now dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner, that is unlikely to change.
Djokovic’s main goal will remain a 25th Grand Slam title which has proved to be elusive ever since the 2023 US Open and the rise of top names. He also isn’t getting any younger at 38. But he shows no signs of stopping the train yet and Stakhovsky said that given the titles he won this year on different surfaces that he proves the game is still there. But that with the new generation emerging, it proves to be a bit of a question rather than a definitive answer.
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Fair play king: Carlos Alcaraz honored with Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for second time“Novak (Djokovic) has every chance to win another Grand Slam. I would even say he has more chances than Zverev. This year, he reached four semi-finals. I think he can win anywhere. His excellent statistics in Australia give him plenty of reasons to think about how he will approach that tournament and what will happen next,” he said to BTU.
“Does the longevity of other players motivate him? I think it’s a unique story. It says a lot about his attitude towards his body, about how he tries to take care of his body through diet, psychological exercises, etc. In return, it gives him incredible flexibility, even at 38. The question is whether his body will allow it.”
“Djokovic has always played defensively. In his mind, he thinks: ‘I won’t make a mistake, maybe two unforced errors per match. If you hit 40 winners, go ahead. But if you hit 40 winners and 48 errors, I will win this match.’ That’s why it’s psychologically easier for him to fight against that.
“However, a new generation has emerged, different from the one he was used to. We see that he has found his motivation for a year or two, that he adapts to the new players. I think if his health allows it, he has a chance to win another Grand Slam tournament.”
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United Cup 2026: Schedule, Field, Draw and Predictions
Tuesday, 09 December 2025 at 08:34
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The United Cup will take place between 2-11 January 2026 in what is the traditional opener to the season, which sees ATP and WTA come together to represent their country.
The United States won its second title after defeating Poland 2-0 in the final. Germany was the defending champion coming into the 2025 edition, but they were defeated by Kazakhstan.
Both cities being Perth and Sydney, host three groups of three countries in a round robin format. Each tie consists of a men’s and women’s singles match, and one mixed doubles match. The six group winners and the best runner-up in each city advance to the Quarter-Finals. It is the start of the Australian Open season.
Draw United Cup
Perth Groups
| Group A | Group C | Group E |
| USA | Italy | Great Britain |
| Spain | France | Greece |
| Argentina | Switzerland | Japan |
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When does the Australian Open 2026 start? How to get to Melbourne Park and key dates for opening Grand SlamSydney Groups
| Group B | Group D | Group F |
| Canada | Australia | Germany |
| Belgium | Czechia | Poland |
| China | Norway | Netherlands |
Credit: Picture: IMAGO
Field United Cup
(Numbers correspond to their ATP/WTA ranking – * corresponds to doubles and P = protected)
| Country | ATP Players | WTA Players |
| USA | Taylor Fritz (6), Mackenzie McDonald (113), Christian Harrison (15*) | Coco Gauff (3), Varvara Lepchenko (154), Nicole Melichar-Martinez (18*) |
| CANADA | Felix Auger-Aliassime (8), Alexis Galarneau (189), Cleeve Harper (85*) | Victoria Mboko (18), Kayla Cross (241), Gabriela Dabrowski (10*) |
| ITALY | Flavio Cobolli (22), Andrea Pellegrino (140), Andrea Vavassori (14*) | Jasmine Paolini (8), Nuria Brancaccio (152), Sara Errani (3*) |
| AUSTRALIA | Alex de Minaur (7), Jason Kubler (190), John-Patrick Smith (45*) | Maya Joint (32), Maddison Inglis (175), Storm Hunter (P3*) |
| GREAT BRITAIN | Jack Draper (10), Billy Harris (124), Lloyd Glasspool (1*) | Emma Raducanu (29), Mingge Xu (257), Olivia Nicholls (26*) |
| GERMANY | Alexander Zverev (3), Patrick Zahraj (246), Kevin Krawietz (11*) | Eva Lys (40), Laura Siegemund (46), Mina Hodzic (465) |
| BELGIUM | Zizou Bergs (43), Kimmer Coppejans (205), Sander Gille (49*) | Elise Mertens (20), Greet Minnen (122), Lara Salden (P110*) |
| FRANCE | Arthur Rinderknech (29), Geoffrey Blancaneaux (254), Edouard Roger-Vasselin (17*) | Lois Boisson (36), Leolia Jeanjean (106), Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah (123 P47) |
| POLAND | Hubert Hurkacz (34), Daniel Michalski (276), Jan Zielinski (219*) | Iga Swiatek (2), Katarzyna Kawa (124), Katarzyna Piter (59*) |
| SPAIN | Jaume Munar (36), Carlos Taberner (104), Inigo Cervantes (103*) | Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (42), Andrea Lazaro Garcia (182), Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers (107*) |
| CZECHIA | Jakub Mensik (19), Dalibor Svrcina (86), Adam Pavlasek (53*) | Barbora Krejcikova (10), Linda Fruhvirtova (137), Miriam Skoch (66*) |
| GREECE | Stefanos Tsitsipas (34), Stefanos Sakellaridis (276), Petros Tsitsipas (219*) | Maria Sakkari (52), Despina Papamichail (172), Sapfo Sakellaridi (143*) |
| JAPAN | Shintaro Mochizuki (92), Yasutaka Uchiyama (305) | Naomi Osaka (16), Nao Hibino (186), (33*) |
| ARGENTINA | Sebastian Baez (45), Marco Trungelliti (136), Guido Andreozzi (33*) | Solana Sierra (66), Maria Lourdes Carle (128), Nicole Fossa Huergo (110*) |
| NETHERLANDS | Tallon Griekspoor (25), Guy Den Ouden (161), David Pel (29*) | Suzan Lamens (87), Eva Vedder (235), Demi Schuurs (21*) |
| SWITZERLAND | Stan Wawrinka (157), Jakub Paul (328), Luca Castelnuovo (402) | Belinda Bencic (11), Celine Naef (266), Naima Karamoko (155*) |
| NORWAY | Casper Ruud (12), Viktor Durasovic (243), – | Malene Helgo (478), Astrid Brune Olsen (804), Ulrikke Eikeri (38*) |
| CHINA | Zhizhen Zhang (P50), Rigele Te, Aoran Wang (285) | Zhu Lin, Xiaodi You |
Schedule United Cup 2026
The schedule in full will be confirmed in due course but it will follow the same format as previous with the tournament being held between 2-11 Jan, 2026.
- The group stage matches in Perth will run from Fri 02 Jan 2026 – Tue 06 Jan 2026. The Quarter Finals in Perth will be held on Wed 07 Jan 2026.
- The group stage matches in Sydney will run from Sat 03 Jan 2026 – Wed 07 Jan 2026. The Quarter Finals in Sydney will be held across Thu 08 and Fri 09 Jan 2026.
- Sydney will host two Semi Finals on Sat 10 Jan 2026, followed by the United Cup Final on Sun 11 Jan 2026.
- Teams travelling from Perth to Sydney will have a travel and rest day before their Semi Final match meaning they are not playing back-to-back.
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Samuel Gill, Head Editor for TennisUpToDate.com sees USA as defending the title.
United States I see again sealing the title at the United Cup albeit there will be multiple facets to the story as I see Poland again featuring with Iga Swiatek.
Always one for the big occasion in a teams competition, Swiatek always shines. While Great Britain could be one to watch albeit it will truly one of two scenarios.
Raducanu and Draper have been injured though. Italy with Jasmine Paolini and Flavio Cobolli could also feature. While Canada have the great combo of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Victoria Mboko who will also be up there.
Favourites
*** USA
** Poland, Great Britain
* Italy, Canada, Japan
Credit: Picture: IMAGO
Cristhian Avila, Editor for TennisUpToDate.com sees Canada as having that winning feeling in Australia.
My title favorites are the Canadians, with Auger-Aliassime and Mboko as a partnership—plus a great doubles specialist in Dabrowski. Along with Italy, they are the most complete teams in my view. Mboko’s role will be key, while Auger-Aliassime arrives inspired after a great end to the year. Poland is also another firm contender, boasting two consecutive finals and a great Swiatek-Hurkacz partnership.
We will have to see how Fritz and Gauff perform, although their doubles appears to be a more vulnerable point when needed. Special mention goes to Great Britain, with an exciting pairing of Draper and Raducanu. Additionally, the Czech Republic could be a surprise, even though Mensík and Krejcikova—at least by ranking—are far from being favorites.
Coco Gauff returns to the tournament she made her debut in during 2025.
Favourites
*** Canada, Poland
** Italy, USA
* Great Britain, Czech Republic
Lucas Michael, Editor for TennisUpToDate.com sees Italy continuing their winning feeling.
The 2026 tennis season is just around the corner, and it is straight back to Australia for the best players in the world with the United Cup kicking off what is set to be another fabulous campaign.
The reigning champions USA are once again going in strong with the same winning lineup as last year. If both Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz bring their best game, I cannot see another winner. However, I feel that is a big if with the inconsistent form of Gauff and how Fritz can sometimes get dragged into matches. They have proved their class on the court together, and it will not surprise me if they clinch a third United Cup title.
However, the competition this year is strong. The number two seeds Canada have two of the most inform players in the world in Felix Auger-Aliassime and Victoria Mboko. If they can strike a solid partnership, then they could be the ones to beat. A similar situation Australian lineup. Alex de Minaur once again leading the hosts with a young teammate in Maya Joint. The duo will have the support from the Aussie locals, giving them that extra motivation to get over the line.
I will also be keeping a close eye on Great Britain. Jack Draper’s return to the court could not be timed better for his debut in the tournament. The Emma Raducanu-Naomi Osaka clash could be a pivotal moment for the competition. The number one Brit has started to find her old form but is yet to assert herself over the best players in the world. If she cannot do this, then I do not see Great Britain getting very far in this event.
Credit: IMAGO
You would obviously have to throw Poland into the pool of challengers. Iga Swiatek is a fierce competitor, and nearly impossible to beat at her very best. Aside from losing in the final to Gauff, the six-time Grand Slam champion did not lose a match in last year’s edition and will be so vital for their title bid.
However, I am not going to pick any of them to win the event. From prior events, Italy have proved themselves to be a force of nature in these types of events, dominating the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup in recent years. In the 2025 editions, Jasmine Paolini and Flavio Cobolli proved to be crucial pieces of the puzzle. I will go out on a limb and say that their momentum for their country will continue Down Under, and Italy will win a maiden United Cup title.
*** Italy
** USA, Canada
* Great Britain, Australia, Poland
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