|
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 $15 million event featuring teams from
18 nations to kick off the 2023 season.
The decisions reflect a growing cooperation between the men's
and women's tours and the ITF which have moved towards
streamlining the governance of the game since the COVID crisis
disrupted the 2020 season.
"Our focus is always on creating the best possible experiences
for our fans and players," ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said in
a statement.
"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, which was 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, which was 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 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".
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru,Editing by
Christian Radnedge and Ed Osmond)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
