ATP set to launch World Team Cup tournament in 2020
The Association of Tennis Professionals announced that a revamped World Team Cup will take place in Australia in the first week of January from 2020. It comes after the International Tennis Federation set out plans for a rival 18-team end-of-season event to crown the Davis Cup champions from 2019.
In May, ATP executive chairman Chris Kermode said staging both tournaments, World Team Cup, and David Cup, within six weeks would be āinsaneā. But on Sunday he made the announcement of theĀ arrival of World Team Cup, which would consist of 24 teams in January of 2020.Ā Ā
"This announcement will change the landscape of the ATP World Tour. We believe this outcome will deliver long-term sustainability not only financially but also from a player health perspective, which is critical. This event has huge potential and we now look forward to working together with Tennis Australia in bringing our vision to fruition," Kermode said as quoted by BBC.
The ITF responded to the announcement by saying it was an "opportunity missed".
"Today's news that the ATP board has decided to proceed with the World Team Cup does not change the commitment of the ITF to proceed with a new Davis Cup event in 2019," the ITF said. "We do feel that this was an opportunity missed by the ATP to work together with the ITF in a beneficial and positive way for the whole of tennis.
"Our plan is transformative. It includes format changes to Davis Cup that were requested by the ATP Player Council in 2016 and it will create a
The World Team Cup would take place in partnership with Tennis Australia and would feature 24 teams, offering Ā£11.35m in prize money. Ranking points would also be available. The tournament had previously taken place in Dusseldorf from 1978 to 2012. Federations would vote at the ITF AGM in August on proposals to transform the Davis Cup, culminating in an 18-nation World Cup-style tournament at the end of the season in November. The ATP and ITF had been in discussions to try to resolve the issue.