The 2026 tennis season is underway with the biggest names in the sport gearing up for the first Grand Slam of the year. A number of preparation tournaments for the Australian Open are currently underway, including the ASB Classic and the United Cup.
Monday’s action delivered some upsets, with a few top seeds falling to defeat, including a two-time Grand Slam winner.
Coco Gauff vs Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro
Coco Gauff and the United States team faced Spain in a group-stage match on Monday but things did not go according to plan for the World No. 4 in her singles match against Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro. The Spaniard comfortably won the first set 6-1 before Gauff responded by winning the second set on a tiebreak.
The American was no match for her opponent in the deciding set, as she was bageled and was handed her first-ever defeat in the United Cup. This was also Bouzas Maneiro’s first victory over a Top-5-ranked player.
The United States did roar back to win the tie, with Taylor Fritz defeating Jaume Munar to level things up. Gauff and Christian Harrison then completed the turnaround by earning a comfortable win over Yvonne Cavallé Reimers and Íñigo Cervantes in the mixed doubles contest.
Emma Navarro vs Francesca Jones
Emma Navarro’s preparation for the Australian Open got off to a poor start as she was beaten 5-7, 6-2, 4-6 by Francesca Jones in the first round of the ASB Classic. The win marked Jones’ first win over a Top-15-ranked player.
The Brit showed great resilience and took the decisive break at 5-5 in the first set. Navarro responded well and comfortably won the second set 6-2 but Jones clinched a vital service break in the decider to earn the biggest win of her career so far.
Navarro did show glimpses of her quality, especially in the second and third sets. However, there were also signs of rust in her performance, and Jones took full advantage.
Alexander Zverev vs Hubert Hurkacz
It was a day to forget for Germany and Alexander Zverev at the United Cup, as they were soundly beaten by Poland in Sydney. The day began with Zverev losing in straight sets to Hubert Hurkacz.
The Pole made a statement at the World No. 3’s expense in his first match in seven months, winning 6-3, 6-4. Following the match, Zverev was also seen smashing his racket out of frustration.
goatkacz hurkacz zobacz do czego go doprawdziles pic.twitter.com/7G02l4yUDQ
— nat (@hsangelus) January 5, 2026
Eva Lys was then beaten by Iga Swiatek, before Laura Siegemund and Alexander Zverev lost to Katarzyna Kawa and Jan Zieliński in straight sets. This secured a comfortable 3-0 win for Poland, leaving Group F precariously poised going into Poland’s clash against the Netherlands.
Emma Raducanu vs Maria Sakkari
Emma Raducanu’s impressive winning streak against Maria Sakkari came to an end on Monday as she was beaten in a topsy-turvy match that lasted three sets. After withdrawing from her United Cup opener against Naomi Osaka, Raducanu returned to the court to take on Sakkari for Great Britain’s clash against Greece.
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Hoping to get Great Britain back on level terms following Billy Harris’ defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas, Raducanu lost the first set 6-3. She bounced back and claimed the second set with the same scoreline, but Sakkari managed to regain control in the decider and won 6-1. The loss meant that Team GB was eliminated from the United Cup.
