SYDNEY (AP) — The ATP says all top 10-ranked players, including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, have committed to play in the inaugural ATP Cup in Australia in January.
It said Saturday that the top 18-ranked countries and Australia, as the host-country wild card, will be among the qualifiers for the tournament to be held in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney from Jan. 3-12. Serbia leads the current rankings, with Spain second, Switzerland third and Russia fourth.
The ATP said the top two players for each country have committed to play, subject to change based on the ATP Rankings at the second entry deadline on Nov. 13, when remaining team members — up to an additional three players — will qualify.
Five additional countries will also qualify to compete at the 24-country tournament based on the ranking of their No.1 singles player.
Countries will be drawn into one of six groups on Monday when the official draw is held at the Sydney Opera House.
The group stages of the ATP Cup will be hosted in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney over six days. Eight countries will then play at the ATP Cup Final Eight in Sydney that will feature quarterfinals over two days, semifinals and a final. Each match will be two singles and one doubles.
DRAW UPDATE:
SYDNEY (AP) — U.S. Open champion Rafael Nadal will start his 2020 season on the opposite side of Australia to Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer when he leads Spain in a group-stage qualifier in the new ATP Cup team competition.
Spain was drawn into Group B with Japan and Georgia and will play in Perth on Australia's west coast, where the U.S. team, Daniil Medvedev's Russia team and Italy will also be competing in Group D.
Nadal collected his 19th major title, moving within one of Federer's record for men, when he held off Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 in a U.S. Open final that lasted nearly five hours. Nadal remained at No. 2 in the rankings, behind Djokovic, and Medvedev moved up to career-best No. 4.
Djokovic's Serbia squad was drawn into Group A along with France and South Africa in one of two groups based in Brisbane on Australia's east coast, along with Australia, Germany, Canada and Greece in Group F.
No. 3-ranked Federer's Swiss team will open in Group C against Belgium and Britain in Sydney, where Group E — containing Austria, Croatia and Argentina — will also be based.
There are five spots still open in the 24-country tournament which starts in the three cities on Jan. 3 and will double as the season-opening event for the men's tennis tour.
Eight teams from the six-day group stage will advance to the knockout rounds, which will continue in Sydney until Jan. 12.
The ATP says all players in the top 10, and 27 of the top 30 players in the rankings, have committed to playing in the ATP Cup.
The Australian Open, the first major of the season, is set to start Jan. 20 in Melbourne.
