ATP Press Release, September 4, 2019
The Official Draw for the ATP Cup, the most exciting new event in world tennis, will take place on Monday 16 September.
In 12 days’ time, the draw will reveal where the global superstars of the sport will start their 2020 season, and which countries will compete in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.
The ATP Cup will feature 24 countries going head-to-head as they battle for the world title with valuable ATP Ranking points at stake in both singles and doubles. And with a prize purse of AUD $22 million, the ATP Cup will offer more prize money than any other ATP event on the calendar.
The current ATP Cup Standings, based on the ATP Ranking position of each country’s top-ranked singles player, is a provisional entry list and an indication of which countries and players are likely to compete.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Switzerland’s Roger Federer currently occupy the top three positions.
Participation is subject to players committing to the event by the tournament’s two entry deadlines of 13 September for the first 18 teams, or 13 November, for the remaining six teams.
If not included in the top 18 at the first entry deadline of 13 September, Australia will receive a host country wildcard. Australia currently sits at No.19 in the ATP Cup standings.
“We know the eyes of the world, and certainly the playing group, will turn to us on Monday 16 September when we’ll know the top 18 countries entered, and in which city – Brisbane, Perth or Sydney – they will play”, Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said.
“There’s a lot of excitement around the ATP Cup and we can’t wait to present this stunning new event for fans across three cities. With week two of the US Open having the potential to change the fortunes of a number of players and countries, I know there’s a lot of interest in the ATP Cup Standings as we head towards the official draw.”
HOW THE ATP CUP STANDINGS WORK
· To appear on the ATP Cup Standings a country must have at least two players with an ATP singles ranking and at least one other player with an ATP singles or ATP doubles ranking
· A country may have up to five players. If a team has five players, at least three must have an ATP Singles ranking. If less than five players, a team must have at least two players with an ATP Singles ranking
· Players leading the charge to represent their country can be viewed by clicking each selected country on the ATP Cup Standings here
· The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four, with two groups assigned to each of the three host cities. The finals, to be played in Sydney, will feature eight teams: the six group winners and the two best-performing second-placed teams
· The two highest-ranked singles players of the 18 teams to qualify at the first entry deadline will be eligible to compete at the 2020 event, subject to their rankings remaining as the top two players from their country at the November 13 deadline, at which point the full team is determined
· If Australia does not qualify at the first entry deadline, it will receive a host country wildcard, leaving five qualifying spots open at the time of the second entry deadline
· A player with a Protected Ranking (PR) is eligible to enter provided the PR is valid at the applicable entry deadline, as per ATP Cup rules.
FORMAT
· The tournament will be hosted at Brisbane’s Pat Rafter Arena, Perth’s RAC Arena and Sydney’s Ken Rosewall Arena, where the venue is currently undergoing an AU$50.5 million redevelopment. Sydney has secured the finals of the tournament until 2022
· Each tie comprises two best-of-three-sets singles matches and one doubles match played under the regular ATP Tour doubles format (including no-ad points and a match tie-break in lieu of a third set). On-court coaching will be allowed
· An undefeated singles player could earn up to 750 ATP Rankings points; an undefeated doubles player could earn up to 250 points.
Read more about the ATP Cup here.