ATP and Tennis Australia have announced that Sydney has won the rights to host the finals of the inaugural ATP World Cup event beginning in 2020.
The Harbour City will also host part of the group stages, along with Brisbane and a third capital city to be announced at a later date. Brisbane will host its group stage alongside its existing women’s event.
The all-men’s tournament will kick-start the ATP World Tour season, with teams from 24 countries to feature over 10 days in six groups of four.
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“With more than 100 players from 24 nations vying for $22 million in prize money and 750 ATP ranking points,” Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said at the event launch on Sydney Harbour.
“The ATP Cup will help us launch the global tennis season every January in Australia.”
With a prize pool $22 million AUD, the revamped event is set to become the richest tennis tournament in the world outside the four grand slams.
The lucrative prize pool is expected to attract some of the best male players in the world and also offers the chance to play for ranking points.
Before the event kicks off in 2020, Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre is scheduled to receive $50.5m worth of upgrades, including a new roof on Ken Rosewall Arena and Court 1.
However, if Perth wins the rights to host a group stage of the ATP tournament, the Hopman Cup would most likely be scrapped after 31 years.
As an exclusively male event, the Western Australia will lose an entire pool of world-class women’s tennis players who will be forced interstate for their Australian Open preparation.
Roger Federer, who has won a record three titles at the Hopman Cup, said that scrapping the event would be a pity as it brings world-class players together in a mixed environment.
“I want to see international tennis here in Perth,” the 20-time Grand Slam champion said.
“If it’s the Hopman Cup, that’s great. If it’s not, then it’s a pity. We had an unbelievable event here for so many years.
“These events like the Laver Cup and other team competitions back in the day, they get the players closer together — men and women.
“We share a lot of tournaments together, but it’s not the same as when you play together or share the same court.”
The World Team Cup was initially held in Dusseldorf, Germany from 1978 to 2012, and was played on a clay surface.