Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton spearhead Team USA as first 10 nations secure places in the 2027 United Cup in Australia.

Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton will lead the United States at the 2027 United Cup, according to the entry list for the first ten qualified countries. The list shows which stars will open the new season in Australia, and also which big names will not be there.

The fifth edition of the mixed-team event will be held from January 1 to 10, 2027, with the group stage in Perth and Sydney and the final in Sydney on January 10.

How the ten teams qualified

A total of 18 countries will qualify. At the entry deadline on November 10, ten countries qualified through the five highest-ranked men and five highest-ranked women entered. The list confirms those ten nations.

The United States, Italy, France, Spain and Canada got in through their leading men. Czechia, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland and Greece qualified through their top women. The remaining places will go to teams with the best combined rankings. As host nation, Australia is guaranteed one of those combined-ranking spots if it does not qualify on its own.

Shelton steps up for the Americans

The United States are first on the ATP side, with world number four Shelton as their top man. He replaces Taylor Fritz, who led the team at the last edition. Gauff, also ranked fourth, returns to head the women’s team. Keegan Smith, Varvara Lepchenko and doubles specialists Christian Harrison and Nicole Melichar-Martinez complete the squad.

Czechia are top of the WTA side, led by Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova at number eight. Jiri Lehecka, ranked 15th, leads the men.

The two biggest Spanish and Italian stars are missing. Spain are led by 11th-ranked Rafael Jodar rather than Carlos Alcaraz, with Paula Badosa, ranked 57th, as their top woman. Italy’s team is led by Flavio Cobolli at number six, with Elisabetta Cocciaretto, ranked 74th, as the top-ranked woman. Jannik Sinner is not on the team.

France will rely on world number seven Arthur Fils and Diane Parry, while Canada bring Felix Auger-Aliassime and Victoria Mboko. Gabriela Dabrowski, ranked third in doubles, is one of the strongest doubles players in the field.

Poland defend without Swiatek

The defending champions arrive with a different look. Poland won their first title at the 2026 edition, but Iga Swiatek is not on the list. Maja Chwalinska, ranked 12th, leads the women’s team, and Hubert Hurkacz, ranked 30th, leads the men.

Belgium are led by Alexander Blockx and Elise Mertens. Switzerland have Belinda Bencic as their top player, with no man inside the top 140 in singles. Greece have only two men listed, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ioannis Xilas, alongside Maria Sakkari.

A thinner list of stars so far

The first ten teams include fewer top players than last year. Three men from the top 10 are on the list: Shelton, Cobolli and Fils. Two women from the top 10 are included: Gauff and Noskova. For the 2026 edition, the tournament director said five of the world’s top 10 men and four of the women’s top 10 had been locked in.

Several teams also include players ranked far outside the top 100 to fill out their squads. Belgium’s Polina Bakhmutkina is ranked 1069th and France’s Geoffrey Blancaneaux 444th. Each team needs enough players for the singles and mixed doubles matches in every tie.

The final eight nations could still add star power. Germany, led by new world number one Alexander Zverev, are not among the first ten, and neither is Australia.

Canada and Greece were the first to commit. Organisers announced on November 2 that Auger-Aliassime, Mboko, Tsitsipas and Sakkari would return for the event. The full list of countries and players, including Team Australia, will be revealed after the official draw in mid-November.

2027 United Cup entry list