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Bengaluru — The Davis Cup will become part of the ATP Tour calendar from 2023 under a deal signed on Monday between the governing body of men’s tennis, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and tournament promoters Kosmos.
The move came after the announcement last week that the ATP Cup, a joint venture between Tennis Australia and the ATP, was being replaced by a mixed-sex $15m event featuring teams from 18 nations to start the 2023 season.
The decisions reflect a growing co-operation between the men’s and women’s tours and the ITF which have moved towards streamlining the governance of the game since the Covid-19 crisis disrupted the 2020 season.
“Our focus is always on creating the best possible experiences for our fans and players,” ATP chair Andrea Gaudenzi said. “Delivering compelling international team competitions that dovetail with the year-round calendar and continue to innovate is a vital part of that. The Davis Cup has an incredibly rich history and we’re excited to see this important new alliance drive the event forward from 2023.”
This year’s Davis Cup finals involved 16 nations competing in four groups across Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia. The knockout stages will be held in November in Malaga.
The event, started in 1900, was revamped from a traditional home-and-away tie format three years ago after the ITF did a lucrative deal with Spanish investment group Kosmos.
The ATP Cup, viewed as a rival to that tournament, ran for three years with big prize money and high-profile names but failed to attract crowds and struggled with logistical challenges during the Covid-19 crisis.
ITF president David Haggerty said the alliance with the ATP would strengthen the importance of team competition and the Davis Cup's “unique role in elite men’s professional tennis”.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Davis Cup to become part of ATP Tour calendar
Bengaluru — The Davis Cup will become part of the ATP Tour calendar from 2023 under a deal signed on Monday between the governing body of men’s tennis, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and tournament promoters Kosmos.
The move came after the announcement last week that the ATP Cup, a joint venture between Tennis Australia and the ATP, was being replaced by a mixed-sex $15m event featuring teams from 18 nations to start the 2023 season.
The decisions reflect a growing co-operation between the men’s and women’s tours and the ITF which have moved towards streamlining the governance of the game since the Covid-19 crisis disrupted the 2020 season.
“Our focus is always on creating the best possible experiences for our fans and players,” ATP chair Andrea Gaudenzi said. “Delivering compelling international team competitions that dovetail with the year-round calendar and continue to innovate is a vital part of that. The Davis Cup has an incredibly rich history and we’re excited to see this important new alliance drive the event forward from 2023.”
This year’s Davis Cup finals involved 16 nations competing in four groups across Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia. The knockout stages will be held in November in Malaga.
The event, started in 1900, was revamped from a traditional home-and-away tie format three years ago after the ITF did a lucrative deal with Spanish investment group Kosmos.
The ATP Cup, viewed as a rival to that tournament, ran for three years with big prize money and high-profile names but failed to attract crowds and struggled with logistical challenges during the Covid-19 crisis.
ITF president David Haggerty said the alliance with the ATP would strengthen the importance of team competition and the Davis Cup's “unique role in elite men’s professional tennis”.
Reuters
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