Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and betting tips | United Cup 2026

Match Details

Fixture: (GRE) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs (JAP) Shintaro Mochizuki

Date: January 2, 2026

Tournament: United Cup

Round: Group Stage

Category: United Cup

Venue: Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney, Australia

Surface: Hard

Prize Money: $11,806,190

Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN

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Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki preview

Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Six Kings Slam 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas will lock horns with Japan's Shintaro Mochizuki in the group stage of the United Cup 2026.

Following a slow start to the season, Tsitsipas captured the title in Dubai to return to the top 10 of the rankings. However, his stay in the region was brief, and he departed the top 10 following his failure to defend his Monte-Carlo Masters title.

Tsitsipas then made the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open, and didn't win back-to-back matches for the remainder of the season. He lost in the second round of Wimbledon and US Open, and the first round of Wimbledon. Following the Davis Cup qualifiers in September, he shut down his season due to an injury.

Mochizuki didn't compete on the ATP Tour that often in 2025. His best result was a quarterfinal showing at the Almaty Open. He did enjoy considerable success on the Challenger circuit, winning one title from three finals.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki head-to-head

This will be the first career meeting between them, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0 for now.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki odds

(Odds via BetMGM)

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Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki prediction

Shintaro Mochizuki at the Davis Cup qualifiers 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Tsitsipas' poor luck with injuries, loss of form, and coaching struggles led to a rather middle of the road season for him in 2025. The start of a new season offers him a clean slate. He has performed quite well in Australia in the past, losing to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open 2023.

Tsitsipas put together a 22-18 record in 2025. He has competed in the United Cup since the tournament's inception. He led Greece to a semifinal finish in 2023, and has a 6-2 record in singles as of now.

Mochizuki went 4-6 on the ATP Tour in 2025, and has a 7-25 career record at the ATP level. Given his struggles on the main tour, he won't be expected to pose a significant threat to Tsitsipas. Despite his own woes over the past year, the Greek will still be expected to prevail in this encounter.

Pick: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in straight sets.

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Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Shintaro Mochizuki betting tips

Tip 1: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win.

Tip 2: The match will have at least 24 games.

Edited by Rohit