LONDON: The ATP has announced the Top 18 countries in the ATP Cup Standings and Australia, host wild card, as qualifiers for the inaugural ATP Cup, to be held from 3-12 January in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.
The $15 million (AU$22 million) ATP Cup is being staged in partnership with Tennis Australia.
Five further countries will qualify, on the second entry deadline of 13 November, for the 24-country ATP Cup based on the ranking of their No. 1 singles player.
Every member of the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings — including Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Switzerland’s Roger Federer — and 27 of the Top 30 have committed to play at the ATP Cup, which will serve as the spectacular launch of the 2020 ATP Tour season. In addition, Andy Murray qualifies for Great Britain by virtue of his Protected Ranking of 2.
The groups:
Brisbane
Group A
Serbia
France
South Africa
TBD
Group F
Germany
Greece
Canada
Australia
Perth
Group B
Spain
Japan
Georgia
TBD
Group D
Russia
Italy
USA
TBD
Sydney
Group C
Switzerland
Belgium
Great Britain
TBD
Group E
Austria
Croatia
Argentina
TBD
Eight countries that win through the group stages in the three Australian cities will then play at the ATP Cup Final Eight in Sydney, which will feature quarter-finals over two days, semi-finals and a final. Each tie is comprised of two singles and one doubles match.
Chris Kermode, ATP executive chairman and president, said: “We’re delighted to see such a star-studded player field lining up for the inaugural ATP Cup. Our belief was that week one in the calendar, together with Tennis Australia, would work best for player scheduling, and today’s announcement is a confirmation of that. Having the top players competing in this new global event is critical, and the ATP Cup looks set to kick off the ATP Tour season in a big way in 2020.”
Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia CEO, added: “This is an incredibly exciting time for tennis fans. We are thrilled with the amazing support the ATP Cup has attracted from the players. This event will globally launch the tennis season in a manner that will enthrall fans and entice the next generation to our sport. January can’t come quick enough.”
ATP CUP QUALIFIED COUNTRIES – FIRST ENTRY DEADLINE
Country Top 2-Ranked Players (as of 13 September 2019)
1) Serbia Novak Djokovic, Dusan Lajovic
2) Spain Rafael Nadal, Roberto Bautista Agut
3) Switzerland Roger Federer, Henri Laaksonen
4) Russia Daniil Medvedev, Karen Khachanov
5) Austria Dominic Thiem, Dennis Novak
6) Germany Alexander Zverev, Jan-Lennard Struff
7) Greece Stefanos Tsitsipas, Michail Pervolarakis
8) Japan Kei Nishikori, Yoshihito Nishioka
9) Italy Fabio Fognini, Matteo Berrettini
10) France Gael Monfils, Benoit Paire
11) Belgium David Goffin, Steve Darcis
12) Croatia Borna Coric, Marin Cilic
13) Argentina Diego Schwartzman, Guido Pella
14) Georgia Nikoloz Basilashvili, Aleksandre Metreveli
15) South Africa Kevin Anderson, Lloyd Harris
16) United States John Isner, Taylor Fritz
17) Canada Felix Auger-Aliassime, Milos Raonic
18) Great Britain Andy Murray, Kyle Edmund
WC) Australia Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur
The top two players for each country are committed to play, subject to change based on the ATP Rankings at the second entry deadline on 13 November, when remaining team members (up to an additional three players) will gain acceptance. Additionally, on that date, a further five countries will qualify to complete at the 24-country ATP Cup based on the ranking of their No. 1 singles player.
The group stages of the AU $22 million/US $15 million ATP Cup, which is being staged in partnership with Tennis Australia, will be hosted in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney over six days. Eight countries will then play at the ATP Cup Final Eight in Sydney that will feature quarter-finals over two days, semi-finals and a final. Each tie will comprise of two singles and one doubles match.
Countries will be drawn into one of six groups Monday during a ceremony at the Sydney Opera House, with the full schedule for all six days of group play available later in the day. Fans will be able to buy tickets when the public sale opens on Wednesday, 18 September. You can watch a live stream of Monday’s draw on the ATP Cup’s Facebook page.
