Tsitsipas vs Mochizuki United Cup Prediction 1/2/2026 Today’s Tennis Picks

Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece will face Shintaro Mochizuki of Japan in the opening match of Group E at the 2026 United Cup. The match is scheduled for Friday, January 2, 2026, in Perth, Australia. Here’s our Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki prediction. This preview will also include a Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki pick.

Tournament Details

Tournament name: United Cup
Host cities: Perth, Sydney
Date: 2 – 11 January 2026
Field: 18 countries
Total prize money: $11,806,190

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki Preview

Stefanos Tsitsipas will play in the United Cup for a fourth time. Greece has been part of this competition since the tournament was incepted in 2023. Tsitsipas, alongside Maria Sakkari, has helped take Greece to the semifinals in 2023 and achieved a quarterfinal finish last season.

Tsitsipas will once again need to play a pivotal role and step up if his country is to make it into the knockout phase of the United Cup. The 27-year-old endured a disastrous season by his standards, slipping from World No. 8 to outside the top 30.

Tsitsipas played 44 times in all competitions in 2025, winning 23 times and losing 21 matches. His best result was lifting the ATP 500 in Dubai, but he had a broadly underwhelming season in which he struggled with a chronic lower back injury that needed surgery and ended his season in mid-October after the Six Kings Slam exhibition.

Shintaro Mochizuki is tasked to take up the role of Japan’s No.1  singles player at the United Cup. This will be his debut appearance in the tournament. Mochizuki, 22, is ranked 100th in the ATP rankings and has previously achieved a career-high ranking of No. 92. He memorably made the Tokyo Open semifinals back in 2023 when he beat Taylor Fritz from a set down.

2025 was a productive season for Mochizuki, who compiled 43 wins and 31 losses. His lone title was the Noumea Challenger at the start of the season. He made two more finals at that level in Bangalore and Nottingham, finishing up each time. Mochizuki ended the year with three straight defeats.

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki Head-To-Head

Tsitsipas and Mochizuki have never played before this.

Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki Prediction

I’m leaning towards Mochizuki to get at least a set here. We know the quality and talent that Tsitsipas possesses. At his best, he’s one of the world’s best players, but there is considerable uncertainty about his form and health following a premature end to the 2025 season. His background was a liability, and opponents attacked it without fear. His confidence was eroding week by week, and losses against players well below his ceiling accumulated last season. Japan could well win this tie and Mochizuki holds the keys to upsetting Greece’s No. 1 player.

Nur Said's Pick: Mochizuki set handicap +1.5