ATP Cup 2022: what is it, format, rules and how points are distributed

This year’s event, ATP CUP 2022, It will run for nine days at the Ken Rosewall Arena and the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. After the group stage, the four teams that finish as leaders will advance to the semi-finals to compete for the trophy. In addition to this tournament, during the first week the ATP 250 of Adelaide and Melbourne will be held. The ATP website reviews all doubts here:

What is the ATP Cup?

The ATP Cup is an annual national team competition hosted in Australia by Tennis Australia in collaboration with ATP.

When will the 2022 tournament take place?

The ATP Cup will be held in the first week of the 2022 ATP Tour season. The 2022 tournament will be comprised of a 16-team roster and will be held at two venues in Sydney – the Ken Rosewall Arena and the Qudos Bank Arena – both located in the Sydney Olympic Park.

How did the previous editions work?

The inaugural edition of the tournament in 2020 featured 24 teams divided into six groups in three Australian cities – Brisbane, Perth and Sydney – with six group stage matches. The six group winners and the top two seconds advanced to the Final Eight in Sydney. Novak Djokovic led Serbia to victory over Spain, led by Rafael Nadal, in an epic close to the first edition. In 2021, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ATP Cup featured 12 nations exclusively in Melbourne Park on the eve of the Australian Open. All four groups reached the semi-finals, and Russia ended up lifting the title by beating Italy in the final.

What is the format?

Each tie is made up of two singles and one doubles. The nation that wins two games wins the tie. The singles are played for the best of three tiebreak sets. Doubles are played in a no-advantage format and there will be a Match Tie-break in the case of the third round. The score is distributed among the players as follows: In the first round, 200 points are awarded for each game won, if 3 games are won they add up to 600 in total, if a single game is won, 200 points are awarded.

How is the order of play?

There will be a day session and an evening session every day. No. 2s will play first in each tie, followed by No. 1s, with doubles next. All doubles matches will be played regardless of whether the tie is decided after the two singles matches, except if the final is decided after the two singles matches. In that case, the doubles will not be played.

How does a country qualify for the ATP Cup and which players can compete?

A minimum of three ATP ranked players, including two players with individual FedEx ATP Ranking points, are required for a country to be eligible to participate.

How does the list of competitors work?

Top countries in the ATP Cup rankings earn direct event qualification based on FedEx ATP Singles Ranking and entry by the country’s No. 1 singles player by the deadline. The host country, Australia, receives an invitation in case of not obtaining direct classification based on the ranking of its No. 1 individual. The ranking used for access will be the FedEx ATP Rankings. A protected ranking can be used if that player’s protected ranking is still in effect at the start of the competition. The protected ranking cannot be used to determine the seeds.

What are ATP Cup Standings?

The ATP Cup Standings are a provisional list of entries for the ATP Cup, ordered based on the FedEx ATP Rankings (or Protected Ranking) of the player with the best individual ranking in a country. The ATP Cup Standings also show which players from each nation would have a place on their country’s team, under the access rules.

Will there be a team captain?

Each nation will have a captain, chosen by the individual No. 1 player in consensus with his teammates. The individual No. 1 will be the captain in case there is no chosen figure. The captain must have the same nationality as the team and meet one of the following criteria: be a member of ATP Division I, be an ATP coach or coach accredited by the national federation. If the selected captain does not meet any of these criteria, an exception request can be made. In 2021, due to extraordinary circumstances related to COVID-19, No. 1 may request, subject to ATP approval, to appoint a captain of a different nationality.

Will coaching be allowed on the court?

Yes. Coaching will be allowed for the team captain, the individual coach of the player currently playing or teammates. Coaches’ advice is not limited to side changes and breaks between sets, but should not interfere with the speed of the game.

Can a player compete in singles and doubles?

Yes. The team captain decides who plays doubles. The FedEx ATP Rankings on site must be adhered to for individual matches. For example, the No. 1 player on the FedEx ATP Rankings team at the start of the competition cannot play the No. 2 individual. The protected rankings will be considered official to determine the lineup positions.

Check here all the groups and the tournament calendar.