Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios set for blockbuster clash at United Cup

Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal will start the 2023 season with a clash at the United Cup (Image: Getty)Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios look set to face off in a blockbuster clash to open the 2023 tennis season after being drawn in the same group at the new United Cup along with Great Britain. The entry list and groups for the new mixed-gender tennis tournament have been unveiled though some notable names and countries – including Novak Djokovic’s Serbia – have not made the cut.The 2023 tennis season will get underway on December 29 with an all-new mixed-gender tournament in Australia as the warm-up for the Aussie Open. And it already promises to be unmissable as the group format has thrown up some popcorn matches, with Nadal’s Spain and Kyrgios’ Australia landing in Group D along with Great Britain.But fans will be denied the chance to see an all-star Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu mixed doubles pairing coming up against the likes of Nadal and Kyrgios as neither player has appeared in Britain’s squad, which will be made up of Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Jan Choinski and Jonny O’Mara on the mens’ side and Harriet Dart, Katie Swan, Anna Brogan and Ella McDonald on the womens’.Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Switzerland and the United States make up the rest of the field, determined by the top six WTA rankings, the top six ATP and the top six of a combined ranking between the two. It means the likes of Serbia and strong mixed tennis nations like Canada have not made the cut.JUST IN: Cameron Norrie hit with demand to call out Saudi Arabia issues Cameron Norrie will lead Great Britain with Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray not in the squad (Image: Getty)But there is still a chance that the likes of world No 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime and former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu could pair up as two more countries will be admitted to the competition at the conclusion of the ATP season on November 21, with one country qualifying by ATP ranking and another by a combined ranking.The draw is still full of top players from both tours, with WTA world No 1 Iga Swiatek headlining the field as she has the chance to team up with ATP No 11 Hubert Hurkacz in an all-Pole mixed doubles pairing. There are also some more star-studded pairs from the top 10 of both tours as WTA No 3 Jessica Pegula and ATP No 9 Taylor Fritz could join forces for team USA while Greece boasts WTA No 6 Maria Sakkari and ATP No 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas.The full list of teams and the groups and cities they will be playing in are as follows:Group A – PerthGreece – Stefanos Tsitsipas, Michail Pervolarakis, Stefanos Sakellaridis, Petros Tsitsipas, Maria Sakkari, Despina Papamichail, Valentini Grammatikopoulou, Sapfo Sakellaridi.Belgium –  David Goffin, Zizou Bergs, Kimmer Coppejans, Michael Geerts, Elise Mertens, Alison Van Uytvanck, Magali Kempen, Kirsten Flipkens.The final country to qualify via ATP ranking on November 21.DON’T MISSNovak Djokovic’s dad slams Australia for keeping son in ‘prison’King slams ‘horrible’ Wimbledon tradition as rule change not enoughRussian star slams Davis Cup and BJK Cup ban as Medvedev left out World No 1 Iga Swiatek headlines the United Cup field (Image: Getty)Spain – Rafael Nadal, Pablo Carreno Busta, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, David Vega Hernandez, Paula Badosa, Nuria Parrizas Diaz, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.Australia – Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur, Jason Kubler, John Peers, Ajla Tomljanovic, Zoe Hives, Maddison Inglis, Samantha Stosur.Great Britain – Cameron Norrie, Daniel Evans, Jan Choinski, Jonny O’Mara, Harriet Dart, Katie Swan, Anna Brogan, Ella McDonald.Group E – BrisbaneItaly – Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzo Musetti, Andrea Vavassori, Marco Bortolotti, Martina Trevisan, Lucia Bronzetti, Camila Rosatello, Nuria Brancaccio.Brazil – Thiago Monteiro, Felipe Meligeni Alves, Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida, Rafael Matos, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Laura Pigossi, Carolina Alves, Luisa Stefani.Norway – Casper Ruud, Viktor Durasovic, Andreja Petrovic, Ulrikke Eikeri, Malene Helgo. Lilly Haseth.Group F – PerthFrance – Arthur Rinderknech, Adrian Mannarino, Manuel Guinard, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Caroline Garcia, Alize Cornet, Leolia Jeanjean, Jessika Ponchet.Croatia – Borna Coric, Borna Gojo, Matija Pecotic, Petra Martic, Donna Vekic, Tara Wurth, Petra Marcinko.Argentina – Diego Schwartzman, Francisco Cerundolo, Federico Coria, Andres Molteni, Nadia Podoroska, Maria Carle, Paula Ormaechea.