Lleyton Hewitt: ATP Cup set to trump Davis Cup as best team tournament

Player power has Lleyton Hewitt convinced the new ATP Cup will overtake the revamped Davis Cup as the world’s dominant men’s team tennis tournament.

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Player power has Lleyton Hewitt convinced the new ATP Cup will overtake the revamped Davis Cup as the world’s dominant men’s team tennis tournament.

Confirmed as Australia’s captain for the January 3-12 ATP Cup in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, Hewitt said the 24-nation competition was much more of a “players’ event” than the new-look Davis Cup.

Run by the International Tennis Federation, the Davis Cup this year changed format, with the finals, previously referred to as the World Group, condensed into a week rather than played over several months, as was formerly the case.

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Lleyton Hewitt will captain Australia’s team in the ATP Cup next month. Picture: Getty Images

The revamped competition didn’t sit well with Hewitt, who is also Australia’s Davis Cup captain, with the former Wimbledon champion claiming the ITF did not adhere to players’ wishes in changing the Davis Cup format.

“The ATP Cup is a players’ event, where the players have had a say on how they want it formatted,” Hewitt said. “That’s something we’ve really struggled with the ITF working through the Davis Cup, and especially the changes.”

Hewitt doubted both Cups could continue to coexist, and favoured the ATP Cup to prevail if one competition was to fall by the wayside.

“In terms of having the players buy into the ATP Cup, it makes it a lot easier to hang around because the players can make any changes to it that they feel is necessary, which could potentially help the event over the years,” he said.

From a parochial point of view, Hewitt preferred the ATP Cup because it was played in Australia.

Alex de Minaur will be in Australia’s team at the ATP Cup. Picture: Getty Images

“That’s the one thing that really hurts me with the Davis Cup – we don’t get to play in Australia as much now because the finals are based over in Madrid,” he said.

“For me the ATP Cup’s special because it’s in Australia ... right before the Australian Open.

“The biggest thing for Australian tennis is we get to see the best players in Australia for longer.”

Hewitt’s Australian team, made of up Alex de Minaur, Nick Kyrgios, John Millman, John Peers and Chris Guccione, will play Group F matches at the Queensland Tennis Centre against Germany, Greece and Canada.

“We are in a tough group. On paper it’s the toughest group in the whole competition, so we’ve got to try to navigate our way through,” Hewitt said.

“But I couldn’t be happier with those guys playing in the Pat Rafter Arena for sure.

“I always loved playing in Australia, and the boys are really going to relish that as well.”