The Davis Cup will be part of the ATP Tour program from next year under a groundbreaking agreement signed between the men’s tennis governing body, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Cosmos tournament promoters.
The move comes after the ATP Cup, a joint venture between Tennis Australia and the ATP that was nearly hushed up last week with the announcement of a $ 15 million (AUD 23 million) mixed event featuring teams from 18 nations to kick off the 2023. season.
This new tournament reflects the growing cooperation between the men’s and women’s circuits and the ITF, which have moved towards streamlining the governance of the game since the COVID crisis disrupted the 2020 season.
“Our goal is always to create the best possible experiences for our fans and players,” said ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi on Monday.
“Providing exciting international competitions to teams that align with the calendar all year round and continue to innovate is a key part of this.
“The Davis Cup has an incredibly rich history and we are thrilled to see this important new alliance carry the event forward from 2023.”
This year’s Davis Cup final featured 16 nations in four groups in Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia. The round of 16 will take place in November in Malaga and will feature Australia.
The event, which began in 1900, was renewed three years ago after the ITF struck a lucrative deal with Spanish investment group Kosmos.
The ATP Cup, which was seen as a rival to this tournament, lasted three years with big cash prizes and prominent names, but failed to attract an audience and faced logistical challenges during the COVID crisis.
ITF President David Haggerty said the alliance with the ATP would strengthen the importance of team competition and the “unique role of the Davis Cup in elite men’s professional tennis.”