United Cup: Emma Raducanu and Naomi Osaka’s showdown among the five can’t-miss ties in Perth

The United Cup roars into action on Friday with yet another star-studded line-up descending upon Perth. But what are the top five singles matches to watch for at RAC Arena? Naomi Osaka vs Emma Raducanu A four-time grand slam champion vs a former US Open winner is a tie befitting of the tail-end of major, not least a United Cup match-up. Not just the highlight of Sunday’s clash between Great Britain and Japan, Naomi Osaka’s meeting with Emma Raducanu promises to be not just an early-year blockbuster, but also an interesting indication of where the two are at ahead of the Australian Open. Part of the appeal of the United Cup for players is getting two guaranteed strong matches before the season’s first major — and both Raducanu and Osaka will be relishing this early-January tester. Excitingly, the pair both rediscovered some of the form which previously made them household names in 2025 as they both surged up the rankings, setting the stage for an intriguing meeting. Belinda Bencic vs Jasmine Paolini It may not have the prestige or star power of Raducanu and Osaka, but in terms of current ranking pedigree, the Belinda Bencic and Jasmine Paolini match-up eclipses all. After 2024 saw her reach the French Open and Wimbledon finals, Paolini consolidated her status as a top 10 player despite not quite reaching the heady heights of yesteryear. At eighth in the world, the Italian is the highest-ranked women’s player in Perth not named Coco Gauff; the next highest after her is Bencic, ranked just three spots below. In her first full season after returning from maternity leave, Bencic rose from 913th at the start of the season to end 2025 as the world No.11, capped by a superb run to the Wimbledon semifinals. Stan Wawrinka vs Flavio Cobolli Sunday’s evening session will finish with a juicy men’s match between Switzerland and Italy as three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka begins his final year on tour. The Swiss great has been a popular figure in the tennis world as he begins his retirement tour, but the 40 year-old has no plans of simply enjoying the ride one last time. Cobolli enjoyed a career year in 2025 as the 23 year-old recorded a personal best ranking of 17th and reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals. With the more-established Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti ruled out of November’s Davis Cup finals, Cobolli stepped up and led Italy to the final, where he came from behind to beat Jaume Munar in three sets and seal the title for his country. Coco Gauff vs Jessica Bouzas Maneiro It is very easy to forget Gauff is still just 21 years-old, given the vast scale of what she has already accomplished in the sport. Already a two-time grand slam winner after adding a French Open title to her already swelling trophy cabinet last year and finished the season ranked third in the world. Her biggest match-up in Perth will come against rising Spaniard Bouzas Maneiro, who consolidated her spot inside the top 50 in 2025. The 23 year-old reached the third round at Roland Garros last year and then the last 16 at Wimbledon. Taylor Fritz vs Jaume Munar Big-serving American Fritz led the men’s tour for aces and finished the season as the world No.6, winding up inside the top 10 for the fourth straight year. This is his third consecutive trip to Perth for the United Cup, and he has already served up some classic matches in his previous two visits — like his three-set spellbinder against Felix Auger-Alliassime last year. By the time the Australian Open rolls around, Munar may find himself as one of the seeds after ending the year with a career-high ranking of 33. Munar’s career year in 2025 involved a third round appearance at Wimbledon and a fourth round showing at the US Open.