Overview
- Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki 6-3, 6-4 in Perth and then paired with Maria Sakkari to help Greece complete a 3-0 sweep in its United Cup opener.
- The 27-year-old said he considered retiring in 2025 after severe back pain left him unable to walk for two days following his US Open loss, but he completed five weeks of pain-free offseason training.
- Tsitsipas, now ranked No. 36, said his priority for 2026 is finishing matches without pain and using the United Cup to gauge his durability ahead of the Australian Open.
- Iga Swiatek said she did not watch the Dubai exhibition between Nick Kyrgios and Aryna Sabalenka and argued women’s tennis stands on its own, calling mixed-team events like the United Cup a better showcase.
- Kyrgios defeated Sabalenka 6-3, 6-3 in Dubai under modified rules that included a smaller court for Sabalenka and one serve each, and Sabalenka has expressed interest in a rematch while Kyrgios replied, “IM IN.”