Hopman Cup Ends as Perth Host ATP Cup
After 31 years of Western Australian hosting ATP Cup game, Perth has now be selected as the third city to host inaugural ATP Cup in January 2020, with intentions to end the Hopman Cup international mixed team.
The host of the ATP Cup game in January would be Sydney and Brisbane; while Sydney would host the knockout rounds and final.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said “the ATP Cup will launch the global tennis season for the men.”
“Four of the top 12 male players, and eight of the top 24, will play in Perth, with 24 teams competing across three cities — Perth, Brisbane and Sydney.”
The ATP Cup would award $22 million to winner with 750 ranking Point.
The event leaves no room in the revamped tennis calendar for the Hopman Cup, which is popular with players and has traditionally served as a warm-up for the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam.
The founder of the Hopman Cup and a four-time doubles Grand Slam champion, Paul McNamee, said he did not know if the tournament would move to another city.
“My immediate feeling is sadness that it’s not going to be there anymore and concern about where the Hopman Cup may be in the future,” he told ABC News.
“If there was a sign off… to say well, bye bye Hopman Cup, it was the fact that probably the two greatest players in the history of the sport, Roger Federer and Serena Williams, went on court at the Perth Arena and went head-to-head,” he said.