Coco Gauff’s first tournament of 2026 confirmed as she prepares for the Australian Open

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Coco Gauff will be leaving no stone unturned in her quest to enjoy another successful season in 2026.

Gauff won the French Open in 2025 and also claimed success in the final WTA 1000 event in Wuhan by beating Jessica Pegula in the final.

Gauff’s season will be filed under successful, but there are things to work on in the off-season that could help her truly dominate.

Tim Henman has told Gauff what to work on, and now, she’s busy finalising her schedule for the Australian swing, which gets underway in January.

• READ MORE: Jimmy Connors says what’s happened to Coco Gauff is not good for her

Coco Gauff announces first tournament of 2026

Gauff hit 17 double faults in a recent match with Pegula, and it’s obvious where improvements are necessary for the American player.

Clearly, she wants to be well practised going into the Australian Open and now she’s confirmed her first tournament of 2026.

The United Cup’s official website has now confirmed Gauff as the partner for Taylor Fritz for the competition, which is always the first competition of the year.

Next year, it will take place for nine days starting on the 2nd January, and Gauff will team up with Fritz to try and keep up an impressive record for the United States.

The tournament has been running for three events, with two of the titles going to the United States.

Fritz has played in all three United Cup tournaments, with Pegula partnering him on those previous occasions.

Gauff can dominate tennis with one small tweak in 2026

Many will cite Gauff’s problems with serving as a big one, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s only a small problem to solve.

The 21-year-old still managed to win a Grand Slam title despite the issues with her serve, and once that is ironed out, she could be relentless on the WTA Tour.

Andy Roddick has defended Gauff previously, and some of the criticism that she’s received has been somewhat harsh and over the top.

Playing in the United Cup could prove ideal for Gauff to prepare for the Australian Open, and it will be fascinating to see what impact playing in this event has on the first Grand Slam of the year.