New United Cup tournament in Australia to become first mixed team event to offer ranking points
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Updated 28/10/2022 at 12:59 GMT
A new tennis tournament called the United Cup will launch at the end of the year, becoming the first mixed team event to offer WTA and ATP ranking points. The top 18 countries in the world will face off between 29 December and 8 January, with Perth, Sydney and Brisbane set to host matches. Former world No.1 Andy Murray described it as "something I'm very excited about".
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The United Cup, a new international team tennis tournament featuring the best men’s and women’s players from the top 18 countries in the world, will launch in December across three Australian cities.
The ATP and WTA event will kick off the 2023 season, taking place in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney from 29 December 2022 to 8 January 2023.
Eighteen countries will face off in the first mixed team event to offer ATP and WTA ranking points, where a lucrative prize pot of $15 million is also up for grabs.
The first 12 countries to qualify will be decided by those with the six highest-ranked No.1 players they have on the ATP and WTA Tours, while the remaining six will qualify according to the best combined ranking of their respective No.1 women’s and men’s players.
Three to four players from each Tour will represent every team.
There will be six groups of three teams – each city hosting two groups – and they will face off in a round-robin format of two men’s and two women’s singles matches, and one mixed doubles match.
There will then be a City Final, the winners of which progress to a Final Four competition in Sydney, joined by the next best team from the group stages.
"I love to see the men and women competing together. It's something I'm very excited about,” said three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray.
“We're the only global sport where men and women compete at the same venues, which is something very special about our sport and something to be celebrated. Big events like this will help.
“I'm sure all the players will be very passionate about competing for their countries and the men and women will work together to support each other.”
The United Cup draw will take place Thursday 10 November.
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