Sydney to host finals of new ATP World Team Cup

Sydney will host the finals of the new innovative ATP World Team Cup, organisers announced Monday, while Brisbane and one other city will feature round-robin games in a revamp of the season-opening tennis calendar.

The Association of Tennis Professionals, which runs the men's game, voted in London earlier this year to award the tournament to Australia.

It will be played from January 3 over 10 days in the lead-up to the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, starting in 2020.

Sydney will host the final of the 24-team event at the Ken Rosewall Arena, which will get a new roof, along with some round-robin matches.

There will be group action in Brisbane along with another city, reportedly Adelaide. The existing Brisbane International will continue as a women-only event.

Perth was widely seen to be in the running, but the ongoing success of the mixed-teams Hopman Cup, spearheaded this year by Roger Federer and Serena Williams, has thrown that into doubt.

"The ATP Cup fits perfectly with our strategy to innovate and look towards the future," said ATP chief Chris Kermode.

"We know from our extensive discussions with the players that the ATP Cup will provide a great way for them to open their season.

"It will bring together the world's best for a major team event that compliments existing scheduling, provides highly-coveted ATP ranking points and clearly links to the Australian Open."
"It is the next piece in a vision that will ultimately grow tennis and provide inspiration for future generations."