World No 1 Novak Djokovic and second-ranked Rafael Nadal will headline a depleted field at the coronavirus-hit ATP Cup, organisers said wit...
World No 1 Novak Djokovic and second-ranked Rafael Nadal will headline a depleted field at the coronavirus-hit ATP Cup, organisers said with the tournament cut in half to 12 teams.
The innovative championship debuted across three Australian cities – Perth, Brisbane and Sydney – in January last year with 24 nations split into six groups ahead of a finals series.
Djokovic’s Serbia emerged triumphant, overpowering Nadal’s Spain to win the inaugural title.
But the onslaught of Covid-19 forced a radical change to how the 2021 season will look, with the Australian Open pushed back three weeks to February 8.
Players will arrive in Australia from January 15 and undergo a mandatory two-week quarantine before the ATP Cup is held alongside two WTA 500 and two ATP 250 events, all in Melbourne in the week leading into the Grand Slam.
Teams’ qualified for the ATP Cup based of men’s singles rankings, with Austria, Russia, Greece, Germany, Argentina, Italy, Japan, France and Canada also making the grade.
Australia was included as host nation, but without showman Nick Kyrgios, who was not on the team sheet.
All of the world’s top 10 players will take part, except Roger Federer who has pulled out of the Australian Open for the first time in his career as he continues...
