Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas has arrived in Perth, Western Australia, where he will officially open his 2026 season at the United Cup.
Stefanos was welcomed by the United Cup organising team upon his arrival, receiving the tournament’s customary gift of Tim Tams, a tradition extended to all competing players.
Stefanos has been building towards the new season for over a month, beginning his preparation in Athens before travelling to Dubai for the second stage of his training. He has now entered the final phase of his pre-season ahead of competitive play.
Stefanos has already taken to the court at Perth Arena, holding his first training session alongside his brother, Petros Tsitsipas, ahead of their competitive commitments. The brothers trained at high intensity, with the 27-year-old Stefanos showing continued improvement as he manages a lingering back injury.
Stefanos will lead the Greek team at the United Cup, which also includes Petros, Stefanos Sakellaridis, Maria Sakkari, Despina Papamichail and Sappho Sakellaridis.
Greece is set to make its tournament debut on Friday, January 2, facing Japan in its opening group tie. Tsitsipas will take on Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki, with the Japanese team led by former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka.
The Greek team will return to action on Monday, January 5, when it faces Great Britain in the next stage of the group phase. The British side will be without Jack Draper due to injury, with Billy Harris – currently Great Britain’s No. 2 singles player – expected to replace him and face Stefanos in singles competition.
The United Cup serves as a key lead-up event to the Australian Open, offering Stefanos an early opportunity to test his form on Australian hard courts ahead of the season’s first Grand Slam.
