The ATP World Tour and Int'l Tennis Federation are barreling toward a major confrontation over dueling Olympic-style team events. The ATP on Sunday announced it would go forward, with Tennis Australia, on a 24-country, season-opening tournament to start in '20. The tennis season typically opens in Australia, so given TA’s involvement, that is presumably where the new tournament would occur. Many of the event details are still in flux.
In response, the ITF, which has proposed a similar format for Davis Cup to close the season, said in a statement, "Today’s news that the ATP Board has decided to proceed with the World Team Cup does not change the commitment of the ITF to proceed with a new Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Finals event in 2019. We do feel that this was an opportunity missed by the ATP to work together with the ITF in a beneficial and positive way for the whole of tennis."
The ATP/Tennis Australia event is still forming, but it would in year one award $15M in prize money and, perhaps as importantly, ATP ranking points. The ATP can withhold ranking points for the Davis Cup proposal, which would award $20M to players in year one of its format. It is believed the ATP commitment is for at least a decade to its new tournament.
The Davis Cup format still requires the approval of the ITF member countries at the Annual General Meeting in August.
