A pair of team competitions bookend the ATP season.
Former world No. 1 Thomas Muster believes ATP Cup timing will trump Davis Cup tradition and make the inaugural ATP Cup more attractive to elite players.
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Nine of the world's Top 10 are scheduled to play the inaugural ATP Cup in January.
The 24-team ATP Cup will be staged January 3-12th, 2020 in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney.
The new 18-team, World Group-style Davis Cup final will be contested in Madrid next week.
Muster believes that ATP Cup's timing at the start of the season, when players are fresh and eager, will ultimately attract more top players than Davis Cup does at the end of the season.
"The [ATP Cup] is that it's at the beginning of the year. So that sort of brings back to the conclusion of why certain players are not playing at the end of the year at Davis Cup final," Muster told the media at a London press conference promoting the ATP Cup. "It's just because it's late in the season, and players are tired and they have played a lot, and there is not much time between now and the new start of the season.
"I think it's a great opportunity because you are playing for points, you are playing for your country, you are playing for prize money. So it's not an exhibition if that's what a lot of people refer to at times. It is a competition. It's at the right time of the year."
The group stages of the $15 million ATP Cup will be hosted in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney over six days.
Eight countries will advance to the ATP Cup Final Eight in Sydney that will feature quarterfinals over two days, semifinals and a final. Each tie will comprise of two singles and one doubles match.
Hall of Famer Boris Becker, who will captain Team Germany, joined Austrian captain Muster and Russian captain Marat Safin at today's press conference. Becker said the fact that there are now three team competitions—Laver Cup in September, Davis Cup in November and ATP Cup in January—is a testament to tennis' global strength.
"Tennis is in a very good place right now," Becker said. "The fact that we have so many new competitions speaks for the interests, speaks for the image and the quality of the players we have...
"This format gives players a chance to, in one way, represent their country, another way start the year off with a big bang. I think the location and timing is key. Everybody comes from the winter break. Everybody wants to get as many matches as possible to start. Why don't you do it for your country? As my two friends have said, Australia is the ideal country to do so. They have a long history in the sport."
Photo credit: ATP Cup