The Hopman Cup will be held in Perth from 3 to 9 January 2016. Read on to find out who’s playing.
The Hopman Cup is a unique tournament where a male and female player form a team to play for their country. There are eight teams split into two groups of four. Each team plays the other three teams in their group in men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed doubles. The winning team in each group play each other in the final.
2016 Hopman Cup Player Line-up
Watch the official Hopman Cup video on the field.
The teams are listed below, plus photos of the players where we had them available from the GSG archives!
Group A
Australia Gold (this year there are two Australian teams) – Casey Dellacqua and Lleyton Hewitt
Currently ranked No.112 and No.297 respectively, Hewitt and Dellacqua played together in the 2009 Hopman Cup. Hewitt will be looking to get plenty of match practice ahead of his final Australian Open. (Rankings as at 15 November 2015).
Note – Since publishing this article, Casey withdrew and now Jarmila Gajdosova will play in the Australia Gold team with Lleyton.
Czech Republic – Lucie Safarova and Jiri Vesely
Safarova made her first Grand Slam final in 2015 at Roland Garros and finished the 2015 season ranked 9 in the world. She is returning to the Hopman Cup after playing in 2015.
Note – Karolina Pliskova is now playing instead of Lucie Safarova.
Lucie Safarova
Vesely will make his Hopman Cup debut in 2016. Currently ranked 41 he reached a career high ranking of 35 in 2015. Vesely won his first career title in Auckland at the start of 2015.
Ukraine – Elina Svitolina and Alexandr Dologopolov
Both players will make their Hopman debut in 2016. Svitolina is currently ranked 19 and has three career titles including Marrakech in 2015. Dologopolov is currently ranked 36 and has a career high ranking of 13 in January 2012. The Ukraine have the potential to be the team to take out the title in 2016.
Dolgopolov
United States – Serena Williams and Jack Sock
Williams came close to completing a Grand Slam in 2015 winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon but missed out at the US Open. After making the Hopman Cup final in 2015 with John Isner Williams she will be looking to go one better in 2016.
Serena Williams on the practice court at the 2015 Hopman Cup
Sock will make his Hopman Cup debut in 2016 after injury forced him to withdraw from the 2015 event. Sock reached a career high of 25 in November 2015 and is currently ranked 26. He claimed his first tour title in Houston in 2015.
Group B
Australia Green – Daria Gavrilova and Nick Kyrgios
Kyrgios, what will he do in 2016? Hopefully his tennis will do the talking. Currently ranked 30 there are high hopes for this 20 year old. He is joined by Daria Gavrilova, currently ranked 36 after an incredible 2015 season.
Nick Kygrios during his round AO15 third round match
Great Britain – Heather Watson and Andy Murray
Watson and Murray are returning to Perth after playing together in 2015. Both players benefitted from their participation in the 2015 Hopman Cup with Watson going on to win in Hobart shortly afterwards and Murray making the Australian Open final. Team GB will be looking to make the final at the very least.
Andy Murray practicing at Queens
France – Caroline Garcia and Gael Monfils
Garcia and Monfils are both making their Hopman Cup debut in 2016. Garcia is currently ranked 35 and has one career WTA title. Monfils is currently ranked 22 and has five career titles. Maybe 2016 will be the year Monfils makes a grand slam final.
Note – Monfils withdrew due to injury and has been replaced by Kenny De Schepper
Germany – Sabine Lisicki and Alexander Zverev
Lisicki and Zverev are both making their Hopman Cup debut in 2016. Lisicki is currently ranked 32 and has four WTA titles in her career. In 2013 Lisicki made her only grand slam final appearance at Wimbledon. 
Zverev is one of many experts’ “ones to watch”. At only 18 he is currently ranked 81 and made his first tour semifinal in Hamburg this year. Unfortunately Poland (Agnieszka Radwanska and Jerzy Janowicz) aren’t able to comeback and defend their title in 2015. Check out pictures from the 2015 Hopman Cup trophy ceremony.
Radwanska & Janowicz with the Hopman Cup prize in 2015
ATP and WTA Rankings of the Hopman Cup players (sourced from hopmancup.com)
The Hopman Cup cup is one of my favourite tournaments due to the format, the quality matches, the fun atmosphere and also because it kick’s off the Aussie Summer of Tennis. Perth is also a great city to visit. Read my wrap up of the event in a Fan’s Eye View of the 2015 Hopman Cup.
Until next time
Grand Slam Gal
Is there not a Canadian entry in this?