The United Cup turns into a "jinx cup"! Many top players shine in warm-up matches but exit early at the Australian Open

As is well known, since 2022, the United Cup has become one of the key warm-up tournaments before the Australian Open. However, at the 2026 Australian Open, many players who performed well at the United Cup were eliminated early. This trend suggests that the United Cup might be turning into a "jinx cup." So, which players showed strong performances at the United Cup but bowed out early at the Australian Open? Today, this article will take you through the details.

Many tennis fans are familiar with Swiss female player Belinda Bencic. Back in 2013, she captured the junior titles at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, drawing significant attention. Over the following years, Bencic continued to make steady progress. In 2021, she won the women’s singles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics; and in 2025, despite starting the season ranked outside the top 480, she clinched two WTA 500 titles. Moreover, she returned to a Grand Slam semifinal after six years, boosting her world ranking by over 400 spots.

At the start of the 2026 season, Bencic achieved five consecutive wins at the United Cup. Although the Swiss team lost to Poland in the final, her individual performance was impressive. However, after a first-round bagel win against Britain’s Bolt at the 2026 Australian Open, Bencic was surprisingly defeated in the second round. Facing Czech qualifier Bartonkova, who came back from a set down to win two straight sets, Bencic suffered her worst Australian Open result since 2023.

Speaking of Bencic, we must mention Polish player Hurkacz. In the 2026 United Cup final, when teammate Swiatek was overturned by Bencic, Hurkacz stepped up courageously. He fought through three sets to defeat Swiss veteran Wawrinka, bringing Poland back on level terms. This set the stage for Poland’s mixed doubles victory and subsequent celebrations. Hurkacz won four matches at the United Cup, playing a key role in Poland’s triumph. However, at the 2026 Australian Open, after a comeback win over Belgium’s Berghes in round one, he lost his edge and was defeated by American Quinn in round two, marking his second consecutive year exiting early in the Australian Open’s second round.

Greek player Tsitsipas, who has twice reached Grand Slam finals, recorded a three-match winning streak at the 2026 United Cup, including a victory over American top player Fritz, reminding many fans of his former brilliance. Yet, he was soon knocked out early at the WTA250 Adelaide event and then lost in the second round of the Australian Open to Czech player Machac. Since 2025, Tsitsipas has struggled to reach the last 32 in Grand Slams, and this Australian Open was no exception.

Argentinian player Baez, who has won seven tour titles, also impressed with a three-match winning streak at the 2026 United Cup. After the United Cup, Baez reached the final at the WTA250 Auckland event, raising fans’ hopes for his Australian Open campaign. However, after a grueling five-set first-round victory over France’s Mpegi-Pericard, he was eliminated early in the second round by Italy’s Darderi.

The strong momentum from the United Cup failed to carry over, becoming one of the major surprises at this Australian Open. Whether the players can adjust quickly remains to be seen. That’s the tennis story for today; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)