United Cup 2027 debutants Rinky Hijikata and Talia Gibson will lead Australia’s team in Sydney in January, with Alex de Minaur not part of the squad for the first time.
Tennis Australia named the six-player team on Thursday. Hijikata and Gibson will be joined by Daria Saville, Alex Bolt, Marc Polmans and Ellen Perez, Tennis Australia reported.
Australia will play in Group D against France and Great Britain at Ken Rosewall Arena from 2 January. The mixed-teams event runs from 1 to 10 January across Perth and Sydney and is the first tournament of the Australian summer.
De Minaur had been a constant in the Australian team in the first four editions of the event, but he won’t take part this time as he maps out a different path for the summer, the Courier-Mail reported.
Hijikata rides Djokovic high
Hijikata, 25, beat Novak Djokovic in Paris last week on his way to his first Masters 1000 quarter-final, a run that lifted him to a career-high ranking of world No.59. He is now Australia’s second-ranked man behind de Minaur, Nine reported.
“Putting on the green and gold is probably the biggest honour you can have as an Australian athlete and any chance you get to do that is special,” Hijikata said.
“It’s another chance to play in front of a home crowd and it’s the best time of the year for us Aussie tennis players.”
Read more: Carlos Alcaraz Beats Ben Shelton to Win First Paris Masters Title
Gibson’s breakout year
Gibson, 22, has climbed from outside the top 100 to a career-best No.36 this season, and she will also feature in Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup squad in France next week.
“Talia has had a heck of a year,” Hijikata said. “She’s a quality player and she’s only going to get better.”
“Being able to represent your country, it’s the highest honour,” Gibson said. “I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved so far and I’m really looking forward to starting next year in the green and gold.”
Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu will also play in Sydney, while Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton headline the United States team in Perth.
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