Davis Cup to become part of ATP Tour calendar in 2023

The move comes after the ATP Cup, a joint venture between Tennis Australia and the ATP was but put to bed last week with the announcement of a mixed-sex $15 million event.

FILE PHOTO: Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy, Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Karen Khachanov, Aslan Karatsev and captain Shamil Tarpischev pose for pictures after winning the Davis Cup at the Madrid arena in Madrid on December 5, 2021.  | Photo Credit: AFP

The Davis Cup will become a part of the ATP Tour calendar from next year under a groundbreaking deal signed on Monday between the governing body of men’s tennis, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and tournament promoters Kosmos.

The move comes after the ATP Cup, a joint venture between Tennis Australia and the ATP was but put to bed last week with the announcement of a mixed-sex $15 million event featuring teams from 18 nations to kick off the 2023 season.

That new tournament reflects the 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,” said ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi 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.”