Tournament fears as Australia backs new ATP World Cup

Australian tennis chiefs welcomed today the announcement of a new ATP World Team Cup tournament amid fears over the future of some of the country's top events.

The Association of Tennis Professionals, which runs the men's game, voted in London on Sunday to award the tournament to Australia. It will be played in January from 2020.

The event is returning to the global calendar for the first time since taking place in Dusseldorf from 1978 to 2012 and will feature 24 teams with US$15 million in prize money at stake, along with ATP rankings points.

More details on the format and precise dates will be released later. The decision puts the ATP, which operates the Sydney and Brisbane Internationals in January, in direct competition with tennis' governing body the International Tennis Federation (ITF), which runs the Hopman Cup in Perth and the four Grand Slams including the season-opening Australian Open.

Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley said the decision meant the world's top players would continue to start their year in Australia.

"This is an exciting new era in men's tennis," he said in a statement, without commenting on what it meant for the traditional Australian Open warm-up events in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney.

"Upon finalising the agreement with the ATP we look forward to unveiling a stunning new global event in Australia to launch the season."
"We believe this outcome will deliver long-term sustainability not only financially but also from a player health perspective, which is critical."