ATP To Consider World Cup Proposal
Men’s tennis governing body the ATP is to consider a proposal from the ATP Player Council to introduce a 32-nation biennial World Cup tournament.
Novak Djokovic, who is a member of the ATP Player Council, confirmed that the idea for a 10-day male-only tournament will be discussed by the governing body at the Australian Open which starts on 18th January.
Said world number three Djokovic: ‘The talks are crucial for upcoming years. This is bottom line… players are the ones who are making the show and their opinions have to be greatly considered.’
The format of the event would be similar to that of the football World Cup with 32 nations split into eight groups of four, with 16 teams reaching the knockout stages.
Each team would consist of three players and a captain and will be forced to make mid-match substitutions by fielding at least two players per tie.
Matches would be much shorter, with a maximum of 25 seconds allowed between points.
The proposal put forward by the players suggests that the new tournament would be introduced as a replacement for the Davis Cup which many believe to have become outdated.
The All England Club, the United States Tennis Association and Tennis Australia – the rights holders of three of the majors – are believed to have all been informed of the players’ plans.
