Sebastian Baez, Solana Sierra score first wins of 2026 tennis season at United Cup

Sebastian Baez and Solana Sierra have become the first man and first woman to score tour-level wins in 2026, both posting victories in Perth, Australia as Argentina defeated Spain in the first tie of this year’s United Cup event.

Every tie at the event is a best-of-three-match format, with men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed doubles—but by winning both singles matches, Argentina already clinched victory over Spain without needing the mixed doubles.

Baez was officially the first winner of 2026 on either tour, defeating Jaume Munar in the first match of the tie, 6-4, 6-4.

The match began with some technical difficulties—Munar’s first serve was called out twice by the electronic line-calling system, and after he challenged the call it turned out the serve was in, and the point was replayed. He reset and ended up holding to love, ripping three winners in that opening game—two off the backhand and one ace.

After having the best year of his career in 2025 and coming into 2026 at a career-high ranking of No. 33, it looked like the Spaniard had picked up right where he left off. He even had break point in both of Baez’s first two service games.

But Baez held both times, broke for 3-2 and was never behind again, closing it out after an hour and 43 minutes.

“Jaume has been playing really well the last year, so I’m happy to start well this time,” the Argentine said. “The crowd was amazing. I really enjoyed this moment and the time on the court, and I’m happy to win this one for Argentina.”

Sierra, best known for her run to the fourth round of Wimbledon last year as a lucky loser—the first woman in the Open Era to do that—was next up against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, and it was anything but straightforward.

After facing a point to go down an early double break serving at 1-3, 30-40, Sierra won 10 of the next 13 games to build a 6-4, 5-2 lead, seemingly cruising to victory.

The match turned on a dime from there, as the errors started piling up for the 21-year-old Argentine, while Bouzas Maneiro started hitting all the right spots. The Spaniard won five games in a row to take the second set, 7-5.

But there was one last momentum shift to come, and it was a big one, as Sierra found her range one more time and reeled off six games in a row for a 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 victory.

“She’s an amazing player and I knew it was going to be really tough,” Sierra said of Bouzas Maneiro afterwards.

“I just tried to focus on my game. I was doing really well, then at 5-2 in the second set I wasn’t doing too well. I’m really proud that I kept going and won it in the third set.”

Though Argentina already clinched the tie, the mixed doubles followed soon after as Spain tried to close the scoreline to 2-1—but instead, Argentina made it 3-0 as Guido Andreozzi and Maria Lourdes Carle outdid Inigo Cervantes and Yvonne Cavalle Reimers, 7-6 (6), 6-2.

The Argentines will be in action again for their second tie of the event on Saturday night, taking on defending champions Team USA, led by Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz.