2026 United Cup

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Alex de Minaur vs Hubert Hurkacz Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Resurgent Hurkacz tipped to cover

Andrew Hendrie

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Last updated: Thu 08 Jan 2026 23:21

Andrew Hendrie 08 Jan 2026

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Alex de Minaur vs Hubert Hurkacz predictions for Friday's United Cup quarter-final
Hurkacz is serving out of a tree to begin 2026, making a successful comeback from knee surgery
Likely a must-win clash for de Minaur to keep Australia's United Cup hopes alive
The match is scheduled to start around 7.30pm AEDT on Friday January 9

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Hubert Hurkacz (Photo by Getty Images)

Alex de Minaur vs Hubert Hurkacz Tips, Prediction & Live Stream

Alex de Minaur will likely be tasked with a must-win clash with Hubert Hurkacz to keep Australia's United Cup prospects alive when the pair square off on Friday night in Sydney.

Alex de Minaur vs Hubert Hurkacz Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
De Minaur vs Hurkacz Stats & Trends
De Minaur vs Hurkacz Head To Head
Alex de Minaur Form Analysis
Hubert Hurkacz Form Analysis
De Minaur vs Hurkacz Live Stream

With Iga Swiatek facing Maya Joint in the first singles match, it's highly probable that Poland will be taking a 1-0 lead into this showdown, meaning de Minaur must prevail in order to send this United Cup quarter-final tie into a deciding mixed doubles. It won't be an easy task for the Aussie by any stretch of the imagination. Hurkacz has been on fire to start the season, which is quite surprising after he missed the last six months of 2025 due to knee surgery. The big-serving Pole has gone 2-0 across his singles matches, including taking the top 10 scalp of Alexander Zverev.

Additionally, Hurkacz has been serving out of a tree - he fired down exactly 21 aces against both Zverev and Tallon Griekspoor, which makes 15+ at close to even money an appealing play here. De Minaur is a better returner than both of those players, but if Hurkacz maintains that level behind his own delivery, 15 is certainly well within his capabilities. I also think Hurkacz can cover with a +2.5 start, which also coincides with his serving form. He'll prove tough to break and tiebreaks could be on the agenda. Tough to pick an outright winner and de Minaur at $1.50 doesn't do it for me, so those are the two plays for Friday night's clash.

De Minaur vs Hurkacz Stats & Trends

Hurkacz is 2-0 in United Cup quarter-finals
Hurkacz has served 21 aces in his two United Cup matches this tournament
De Minaur has lost two of his last three matches inside Ken Rosewall Arena
Hurkacz has covered a +2.5 games line in his last three matches vs top 10 players
Hurkacz has covered a +2.5 games line in two of his three meetings vs de Minaur

De Minaur vs Hurkacz Head To Head

These two have played three times previously, with De Minaur holding a 2-1 edge.

Tournament	Year	Winner	Score
Indian Wells (ATP Masters 1000)	2025	Alex de Minaur	6–4, 6–0
Madrid (ATP Masters 1000)	2019	Hubert Hurkacz	6–3, 6–4
Atlanta (ATP 250)	2018	Alex de Minaur	1–6, 7–6(0), 7–6(5)

Alex de Minaur Form Analysis

2026 Record: 1-1
2025 Record: 55-24
United Cup Record: 7-3
Current Ranking: No. 6
Career-High Ranking: No. 6 (July 2025)

De Minaur usually goes to another level when representing his country, but his recent performances in Sydney inside Ken Rosewall Arena have been patchy.

Indeed, the Aussie lost to a cramping Raphael Collignon in the Davis Cup late last year before going down to Casper Ruud in straight sets in his United Cup opener.

To his credit, de Minaur responded strongly to that disappointment by sweeping aside Jakub Mensik 6-4 6-1, improving to 5-0 against his Czech opponent.

The 26-year-old is looking to take his game to the next level in 2026 after hitting a career-high ranking of No. 6 last year, winning his 10th career title in Washington and making the semi-finals of the year-end ATP Finals for the first time.

Hubert Hurkacz Form Analysis

2026 Record: 2-0
2025 Record: 13-9
United Cup Record: 9-7
Current Ranking: No. 85
Career-High Ranking: No. 6 (August 2024)

It was a tough season for Hurkacz in 2025, with the Pole deciding to bite the bullet and undergo knee surgery after Wimbledon, causing him to miss the remainder of the year.

With his ranking plummeting to No. 85, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding Hurkacz's comeback at the start of 2026.

However, any concerns have been swiftly brushed aside, with Hurkacz exploding out of the blocks with straight set dispatches of World No. 3 Alexander Zverev and Tallon Griekspoor.

Hurkacz, a former World No. 6, served 21 aces in both of those victories and remains arguably the most dangerous unseeded floater for the upcoming Australian Open.

De Minaur vs Hurkacz Live Stream

Watch and bet on Alex de Minaur vs Hubert Hurkacz live United Cup tennis.

You can watch and bet on the match live at Unibet > Tennis > United Cup with the action available to stream on desktop and mobile.

Geo-restrictions apply, you'll need a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to gain access. 18+ terms and conditions apply.

Verdict

Alex De Minaur v Hubert Hurkacz

Hurkacz is tipped to cover a +2.5 games line and serve down 15+ aces after an outstanding start to 2026.

Hurkacz +2.5

Games Line

$1.82 - 2 Units

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Hurkacz 15+

Total Aces

$1.80 - 2 Units

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