ATP Press Release, July 2 ,2018

Following the conclusion of its Board meetings in London, the ATP has announced the approval of the ATP World Team Cup, set to take place at the start of the ATP World Tour season from 2020, in partnership with Tennis Australia. The agreement is subject to contract with Tennis Australia.

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said: “We’re delighted to have reached this outcome which will change the landscape of the ATP World Tour. This event will enable us to kick off our season with a major team event, with minimal impact on existing player schedules at the start of the year. 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.”

The move sees the ATP World Team Cup return to the calendar for the first time since taking place in Dusseldorf from 1978 to 2012. The tournament will feature 24 teams and offer US $15 million in player prize money in 2020, as well as ATP Rankings points.

Further details will be presented in partnership with Tennis Australia in due course.

Statement from the ITF:

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 by BNP Paribas Finals event in 2019. 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 world class finale to the tennis season. The new 18 team Finals event, will result in unprecedented levels of new investment into grassroots tennis world wide as well as record levels of prize money for all competing players.

The continued success of Davis Cup is critical for our sport because the ITF is the only body reinvesting globally into the future development of tennis. It is the ITF, alongside our 210 member nations that develops the pipeline of talent that competes on the men’s and women’s professional tours and that work relies on the investment created by Davis Cup.

Our commitment to providing new opportunities and new funding for nations and players all over the world and to develop tennis for future generations is as strong as ever. We look forward with confidence to the AGM in August 2018, where ITF member nations have the opportunity to vote for the Davis Cup reform’s final approval.