Melbourne, Australia, 21 October 2024 | Dan Imhoff

Alex de Minaur and Olivia Gadecki will lead Australia into battle against Great Britain and a yet-to-be-determined nation in the group stage of the 2025 United Cup in Sydney following the release of the draw on Monday.

The Australian team, which also includes top-10 doubles players Ellen Perez and Matt Ebden, as well as reserves Destanee Aiava and Omar Jasika, was pitted in the same group as Great Britain for the second year running.

It reprises a burgeoning rivalry between world No.10 De Minaur and the 22-year-old Brit, Jack Draper, which the Australian leads 3-1.

Draper soared into the top 20 after he delivered the knockout blow to an injury-impaired De Minaur in the US Open quarterfinals in September for his maiden Slam semifinal.

https://twitter.com/UnitedCupTennis/status/1848173425317253182

The Australia v Great Britain showdown also raises the possibility that De Minaur could come up against his girlfriend Katie Boulter should both contest the mixed doubles when the two nations meet at Ken Rosewall Arena in January.

“Jack’s a really tough player. He’s on the rise, he’s got better and better the last three years now,” Australia’s Davis Cup coach Lleyton Hewitt said. “He has a lot of firepower; it’s going to be a tough match.

“He and Alex have had some battles in the past. Alex wasn’t at his best at the US Open physically by quarterfinals time, [but] he’s had his number in the past where Alex has won quite a few times.

“It’s going to be a good challenge for Alex first up for sure, and then Katie at a career-high ranking at the moment as well – for Olivia it’s a great opportunity to play on Ken Rosewall Arena and get exposure against these top-line players.”

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Former world No.1 Hewitt said he was particularly impressed with De Minaur’s evolution as a player this season given the top-ranked Aussie had added layers to his game.

The prospect of opening 2025 against world No.18 Draper was exactly the tough hit-out he desired in a group that would also feature one of the final two teams to be added in late November.

“He’s able to still keep his unbelievable strengths, but he’s able to add in different dimensions to actually winning these matches,” Hewitt said. “He’s such a hard worker out there. He won’t sit back and rest on his laurels at all.

“He’ll go out there and try and find those 1 and 2 per cents that he can make himself a better player. He’s been able to build a little bit more strength, a bit more firepower, and we know how well he moves around the court. He’s probably using his transition game to the net a little bit more at the right times and he’s confident in doing that. All signs are leading in the right way.”

Australia’s Olivia Gadecki returns the ball to Italy’s Martina Trevisan during the WTA 2024 women’s singles quarterfinal match in Zapopan, Mexico, September 13, 2024. (Photo by ULISES RUIZ / AFP) (Photo by ULISES RUIZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Casey Dellacqua, a former world No.26 in singles and No.3 in doubles, said the United Cup presented a chance for many Australians to see the inroads 22-year-old Gadecki had made in her career-best season, which included a maiden WTA final in Guadalajara, when she meets Boulter first up.

“She likes to stand up on the baseline, she’s a really strong hitter of the ball,” Dellacqua said of the world No.83. “She’s got a massive serve as well, so she’s always looking for that serve and that plus-one, that next shot, to really be super aggressive with, so I think we’re going to see some big-hitting tennis.

“She’s started to find her feet in regards to when to go big and when to just work the point and I think that just comes from years on tour. I think we’re going to see some really explosive tennis from Olivia.”

Also in Sydney, Poland headlines Group B with Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz, while Italy headlines Group D with Jasmine Paolini and Flavio Cobolli.

Defending champion Germany, with Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund, heads to Perth and will compete in Group E against Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen’s China and top-10 star Beatriz Haddad Maia’s Brazil.

Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz spearhead the United States team in Group A in Perth, where Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari will also lead Greece into battle in Group C.

United Cup Perth and Sydney finals tickets on sale now.