ATP Cup

JonH · All-time great

ATP Cup

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

I think this format of 2 singles and 1 doubles makes much more sense for an annual competition. I would like this format each year, perhaps moving round the world each year to be pre-grand slam or pre-masters1000 in various countries and it could even take a break once every 4 years for the Davis Cup. Then make the Davis Cup matches have six or eight singles rubbers.

i.e. Australia Year 1 Jan, USA Year 2 March, Western Europe Year 3 April, Davis Cup Format Year 4,

flamingowings · All-time great

I don't understand what this is - is this a replacement for DC or Hopman or to rival the Laver Cup or something new entirely? Bit lost on this one to be honest... confuse

(could just be me?)

JonH · All-time great

It's the ATP world team cup, effectively their version of the Davis Cup. For DC read 18 teams played as 6 groups of 3 in Spain next year, November, for which Gb is qualified as a wild card. For ATP read 24 teams in 6 groups of 4 in Australia in Jan 2020. Top 24 teams based on ranking of top singles player. So as of today kyle would get Gb in as 13th seed. Both events 3 rubber matches with 2 singles and a doubles match.

Basically the same event!

JonH · All-time great

So, if the ATP Cup was played today, the teams which would qualify would be the top 24 based on ranking of their top singles player:

Serbia (Djokovic)
Spain (Nadal)
Germany (Zverev)
Austria (Thiem)
Switzerland (Federer)
Japan (Nishikori)

South Africa (Anderson)
Argentina (Del Potro)
USA (Isner)
Greece (Tsitsipas)
Croatia (Cilic)
Russia (Khachanov)

Canada (Raonic)
Italy (Cecchinato)
France (Monfils)
Georgia (Basilashvili)
Belgium (Goffin)
Britain (Edmund)

Australia (de Minaur)
Bulgaria (Dimitrov)
Hungary (Fucsovics)
Portugal (Sousa)
Kazakhstan (Kukushkin)
Moldova (Albot)

Slovakia, Uzbekhistan, Poland and Tunisia are next in line

Which is great but a lot of those nations are effectively one person teams and couldnt play competitively in a team event - it could end up being a very lopsided and unexciting event if that happens

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

So 6 groups of 4 teams, with I assume a seed from each pot of players, so something like:

		country	top player	second player	third player
seed 1	group A	Serbia	Djokovic	Djere (31)	Lajovic (44)
seed 2	group A	South Africa	Anderson	Harris (96)	n/a
seed 3	group A	Canada	Raonic	Shapovalov (23)	Felix AA (57)
seed 4	group A	Australia	de Minaur	Kyrgios (23)	Millman (29)

seed 1	group B	Spain	Nadal	Carreno Busta (21)	Bautista Agut (25)
seed 2	group B	Argentina	Del Potro	Schwartzman (24)	Pella (32)
seed 3	group B	Italy	Cecchinato	Fognini (17)	Seppi (47)
seed 4	group B	Bulgaria	Dimitrov	n/a	n/a

seed 1	group C	Germany	Zverev	Kohlschreiber (42)	Struff (45)
seed 2	group C	USA	Isner	Tiafoes (34)	Johnson (38)
seed 3	group C	France	Monfils	Simon (27)	Gasquet (28)
seed 4	group C	Hungary	Fucsovics	n/a	n/a

seed 1	group D	Austria	Thiem	n/a	n/a
seed 2	group D	Greece	Tsitsipas	n/a	n/a
seed 3	group D	Georgia	Basilashvili	n/a	n/a
seed 4	group D	Portugal	Sousa	n/a	n/a

seed 1	group E	Switzerland	Federer	Wawrinka (37)	n/a
seed 2	group E	Croatia	Cilic	Coric (13)	Karlovic (76)
seed 3	group E	Belgium	Goffin	n/a	n/a
seed 4	group E	Kazakhstan	Kukushkin	n/a	n/a

seed 1	group F	Japan	Nishikori	Nishioka (64)	Daniel (72)
seed 2	group F	Russia	Khachanov	Medvedev (15)	Rublev (99)
seed 3	group F	Britain	Edmund	Norrie (51)	Evans (97)
seed 4	group F	Moldova	Albot	n/a	n/a

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

The N/A means no other players inside top 100. Can't believe Moldova have made the cut. Albot is 46th in the rankings and they don't actually have any other world ranked player!
Obviously drawn in order of current rankings, but check out Group D only 4 players in the top 100 in the whole group! Would be great experience for the other players from that country though.

JonH · All-time great

Born2WinTennis wrote:
The N/A means no other players inside top 100. Can't believe Moldova have made the cut. Albot is 46th in the rankings and they don't actually have any other world ranked player!
Obviously drawn in order of current rankings, but check out Group D only 4 players in the top 100 in the whole group! Would be great experience for the other players from that country though.

That does make interesting reading, thanks for that Born2Win. I dont think the cut is for a while yet though, probably after US Open or even end of season ranks? But it gives an idea of what will be and how wild the groups could be!

indiana · Tennis legend

What if you literally have just one pro player who happens to be a top 20 player.

Do you play and drag in the next best players that can use a racket?

Born2WinTennis · Club Coach

Haha if I was around 500-600 in the world right now I would be switching allegiances to Moldova and hoping Albot makes the cut. Appearance money and ranking points at the ATP cup could be the biggest payday of my career!

JonH · All-time great

indiana wrote:
What if you literally have just one pro player who happens to be a top 20 player.

Do you play and drag in the next best players that can use a racket?

It does seem strange doesnt it and then there is the doubles pairing as well?

Each time apparently can have 5 players so presumably you would be expected to have 3 singles players and a doubles pairing on your squad or some sort of mix. But, yes, Moldova and one or two others really could be down picking unranked players or players well down the rankings.

Which presumably happens now anyway with Davis Cup just that in the ATP Cup version you end up exposed to the very top of the game.

The ATP of course will put a lot of pressure on all the qualified players to play in the event so field will be stronger at the top end than the DC event I think, but could end up with this very uneven field

JonH · All-time great

Born2WinTennis wrote:
So 6 groups of 4 teams, with I assume a seed from each pot of players, so something like:

country top player second player third player
seed 1 group A Serbia Djokovic Djere (31) Lajovic (44)
seed 2 group A South Africa Anderson Harris (96) n/a
seed 3 group A Canada Raonic Shapovalov (23) Felix AA (57)
seed 4 group A Australia de Minaur Kyrgios (23) Millman (29)

seed 1 group B Spain Nadal Carreno Busta (21) Bautista Agut (25)
seed 2 group B Argentina Del Potro Schwartzman (24) Pella (32)
seed 3 group B Italy Cecchinato Fognini (17) Seppi (47)
seed 4 group B Bulgaria Dimitrov n/a n/a

seed 1 group C Germany Zverev Kohlschreiber (42) Struff (45)
seed 2 group C USA Isner Tiafoes (34) Johnson (38)
seed 3 group C France Monfils Simon (27) Gasquet (28)
seed 4 group C Hungary Fucsovics n/a n/a

seed 1 group D Austria Thiem n/a n/a
seed 2 group D Greece Tsitsipas n/a n/a
seed 3 group D Georgia Basilashvili n/a n/a
seed 4 group D Portugal Sousa n/a n/a

seed 1 group E Switzerland Federer Wawrinka (37) n/a
seed 2 group E Croatia Cilic Coric (13) Karlovic (76)
seed 3 group E Belgium Goffin n/a n/a
seed 4 group E Kazakhstan Kukushkin n/a n/a

seed 1 group F Japan Nishikori Nishioka (64) Daniel (72)
seed 2 group F Russia Khachanov Medvedev (15) Rublev (99)
seed 3 group F Britain Edmund Norrie (51) Evans (97)
seed 4 group F Moldova Albot n/a n/a

If we ended up with groups like this Group A would be very tight with 3 top nations in it. Group B similarly with Spain favourites of course. Ditto group C as well. group D would be the other end of the scale, Group E a two way fight and Group F would be a 3 way fight as well. I think it is top team in each group with 2 best runners up getting through, a la Davis Cup approach.

RedSquirrel · Satellite level

JonH wrote:

I dont think the cut is for a while yet though, probably after US Open or even end of season ranks? But it gives an idea of what will be and how wild the groups could be!

The top 18 teams are selected after the US Open, the remaining teams are selected after the ATP finals.

JonH wrote:

indiana wrote:
What if you literally have just one pro player who happens to be a top 20 player.

Do you play and drag in the next best players that can use a racket?
It does seem strange doesnt it and then there is the doubles pairing as well?
Each time apparently can have 5 players so presumably you would be expected to have 3 singles players and a doubles pairing on your squad or some sort of mix. But, yes, Moldova and one or two others really could be down picking unranked players or players well down the rankings.

All players have to have a singles or doubles ATP ranking, so there is no possibility of selecting unranked players. Teams must have at least 3 players, and 2 of those must have a singles ranking.

indiana · Tennis legend

Thanks, Red. So it shouldn't get absolutely farcical.

JonH · All-time great

RedSquirrel wrote:
JonH wrote:

I dont think the cut is for a while yet though, probably after US Open or even end of season ranks? But it gives an idea of what will be and how wild the groups could be!

The top 18 teams are selected after the US Open, the remaining teams are selected after the ATP finals.

JonH wrote:

indiana wrote:
What if you literally have just one pro player who happens to be a top 20 player.

Do you play and drag in the next best players that can use a racket?
It does seem strange doesnt it and then there is the doubles pairing as well?
Each time apparently can have 5 players so presumably you would be expected to have 3 singles players and a doubles pairing on your squad or some sort of mix. But, yes, Moldova and one or two others really could be down picking unranked players or players well down the rankings.

All players have to have a singles or doubles ATP ranking, so there is no possibility of selecting unranked players. Teams must have at least 3 players, and 2 of those must have a singles ranking.

Ok cool. Makes more sense. Is there a rule book somewhere?