United Cup is fun, novel—and gives new appreciation to the tried-and-true knockout tournament

“Be careful what you wish for”: It’s a cliché for a reason.

Once upon a time, when I was asked for suggestions on how tennis could improve its yearly schedule, one of my first responses was to advocate for a dual-gender team event. It would happen either at the start of the season, or the end, and it would bring the two tours’ stars together on the same courts. Most fans agreed that the co-gender Hopman Cup exhibition that used to kick things off Down Under was a fun concept, so why not expand it?

When it comes to tennis-calendar improvements, dreams don’t usually come true. But somehow this one did, when the ATP, WTA and Tennis Australia created the United Cup in 2022. Here it was, a high-profile season kickoff that promoted both genders equally, and featured big-name players from Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek on down.

So far, it has been a success. Over two years, the United Cup has drawn decent crowds, produced dramatic matches, showcased mixed doubles and given fans a chance to watch the men and women interact, which we had never seen much of before. All of those things have felt like progress.

Which, unfortunately, brings me back to that cliché at the top of this page: Be careful what you wish for.

So far this season, I’ve found myself watching more of the regular, old-fashioned knockout tournaments in Brisbane and Auckland than I have United Cup. Part of the reason is that the week’s two must-see moments—the returns of Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka—happened in Brisbane. Another reason is that the WTA draw in Brisbane is strong, and Coco Gauff and a third returnee, Emma Raducanu, have been in Auckland.

But those aren’t the only reasons. After five weeks without pro tennis, I’ve been happy to come back to the tried-and-true tournament format that we know so well, and that gives the pro game meaning. It’s possible that tennis would be more popular if it were a team sport like soccer or basketball. Billie Jean King tried to make that happen in the 1970s with World Team Tennis, and Laver Cup and United Cup have recently revived the concept.

At this point, though, the tournament format, and the individual-first mentality it fosters, is thoroughly entrenched. The Grand Slams began as knockout events more than a century ago, and early pro-tour organizers like Jack Kramer saw tournaments as more legitimate and appealing, and ultimately profitable, than the two-man, city-to-city barnstorming trips of old.

In 2024, we know what we’re going to get from a tournament. We know that the winner of each match will advance and the loser will be out. We know we’re rooting for a player, rather than a team or a nation. We know that the set-up will be simple: Both players will be alone on the court, and (mostly) silent during changeovers. Our entertainment is the match itself. We can easily gauge whether someone is playing well, or starting the year slowly, based on their results.

In United Cup, it can take multiple matches to reach a result, and it’s hard to know what a victory means, exactly, to players or fans. It will be a while before the event generates anything like the passion for Davis Cup or Fed Cup, if it ever does. On the right night, with the right teams and players, United Cup can bring the buzz—such as when Alex de Minaur beat Novak Djokovic in Perth this week. But there are also nights when Australian fans will spend three or more hours watching Norway take on The Netherlands.

This isn’t meant to say United Cup is a bad idea, or an unnatural concept for tennis. Overall, I think it’s good for the sport. The surprise to me is how much it has made me re-appreciate good old tournament tennis and its emphasis on the individual. I still think the start of the season is a good time to try something new. I also think it’s a good time to come back to what we know and love best.