The beginning of 2026 came with great news for national tennis: Argentina had a devastating start in the United Cup and won 3-0 against Spain. In the first turn, Sebastian Baez y Solana Sierra won their respective points in singles and, with victory assured, Guido Andreozziy Maria Lourdes Carlé They sealed the series against the Spanish team with his victory in doubles.
The first to take the field at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, It was Báez, 45th in the world ranking, who won with authority against Jaume Munar (33rd) by a double 6-4. A very important and promising victory for the native of San Martín, who during an irregular season in 2025, He could only win three of the 12 matches he played on hard courts.
In the first set, after a break on each side, Báez took control at 4-4, when he broke Munar’s serve to make the set 5-4. Then, with solvency, he closed the set in the next game. Already in the second set, he recovered immediately after a break from Munar and was able to close the match in his favor. ” “I enjoyed this moment a lot, I enjoyed the time on the court, I am very happy to have won this point for Argentina.”Self.
Later it was the turn of Solana Sierra (66th WTA), who She defeated Jessica Bouzas (41st) 6-4, 5-7 and 6-0. After a great first set, in which She achieved the final break at 5-4, the woman from Mar del Plata started the second set determined to close the match in two sets. However, with The score was 5-2 in his favor, he could not close the game and allowed the recovery of the Spanish woman who, with two consecutive breaks, he took the set 7-5. But Solana’s superiority became evident again in the third set, with a resounding 6-0.
“It was a very tough match, I had to concentrate on my game”said the 21-year-old tennis player. ” I’m proud that I kept going and won in the third set. I knew I had to be strong. “I am very happy with my level,” she concluded.
Already in the doubles, Guido Andreozzi and María Lourdes Carlé beat Íñigo Cervantes and Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers 7-6 (6) and 6-2, in one hour and 36 minutes of play. With the 3-0 victory against Spain, Argentina added its second victory in four appearances in this mixed team competition.
Now the national team will have to face the United Stateswhich in addition to being the defending champion, has two heavyweights in its ranks such as Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff.
The United Cup format
The United Cup, a competition that will open the 2026 season, It is a mixed tournament on a hard surface that has been played since 2023. in it 18 countries participate, which are divided into six groups of three teams for an initial phase, which Argentina will seek to overcome for the first time in this edition. From that point on, the leaders of each group and the two best runners-up will advance to the quarterfinals.
The semi-finals and final will be played in Sydney, and They will distribute 11 million dollars. In addition, these instances will add points in ATP and WTA. Until now, the only two teams that have bitten the championship badge were Germany, in 2024, and the United States, in 2023 and 2025. Will there be a new winner in 2026?
