Everything you need to know about Brisbane’s summer of tennis

Don’t know your ATPs from your WTAs? Lachlan Grey breaks down the new tournament and the Brisbane International plus all the details you need to know.

Don’t know your ATPs from your WTAs? Wondering why Serbia is taking on Chile in Brisbane?

We don’t blame you – the 2020 schedule is hard to wrap your head around – so here’s our simple breakdown of the next two weeks’s worth of tennis in Brisbane.

World No.1 Ash Barty hits out during a Tuesday practice session at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

WHAT’S GOING ON?

The Queensland Tennis Centre in Tennyson is hosting two separate events between January 3-12 – the mens’ ATP Cup group stage and the women-only Brisbane International.

The ATP Cup is a new event that sees male players from 24 qualified countries compete for their nation for ATP rankings points and $21.5 million in prize money.

Brisbane will host eight of the 24 countries, including Australia, in the group stage as they push for finals qualification.

These ATP Cup group stage games will be played between January 3-8.

World No.18 Alex de Minaur poses with the ATP Cup ahead of Australia’s opening ATP Cup clash with Germany. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Need more info? Here’s how the ATP Cup came to Brisbane.

Meanwhile, the Brisbane International (previously a male-female event) will also be contested between January 6-12 at the Queensland Tennis Centre.

World No. 1 Ash Barty is set to feature in a stacked draw alongside defending champion Karolina Pliskova (world no. 2), 2019 Australian Open winner Naomi Osaka (world no. 3) and five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova.

The 2020 BI will also feature an increased prizemoney pool of $1.5 million.

Karolina Pliskova with the Brisbane International trophy after downing Lesia Tsurenko in 2019’s women’s final. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

HOW DOES THE ATP CUP WORK?

This is a new concept and the inaugural tournament so stay with us here.

Teams qualify based on the singles ranking of their best player the week after the US Open; with the final six teams announced the week of the ATP Finals.

These 24 nations have been divided into six groups of four, who will play round robins.

The six group winners and the two best second-placers will advance to the knockout stages in Sydney.

World No.1 Rafael Nadal will line up for Spain in their ATP Cup campaign across the country in Perth. Picture: AAP Image/Richard Wainwright

Each tie will see two singles and one doubles match, with two wins claiming a tie.

Singles matches will be best-of-three tie-break sets with doubles to feature No-Ad scoring and a match tie-break rather than a third set.

Group A (Chile, France, Serbia and South Africa) and Group F (Australia, Canada, Germany and Greece) will be playing in Brisbane.

WHO SHOULD WE BE WATCHING?

Honestly, we’re pretty spoiled for choice.

Ipswich darling Barty and fellow Queenslander Ajla Tomjlanovic are headlining the homegrown heroes with the likes of Pliskova, Osaka and Sharapova ready to fire at the BI.

If that’s not enough, seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams and world No. 6 Elina Svilotina are also joining the fray with the BI winner set to take home $188,280 and 470 WTA rankings points.

Naomi Osaka of Japan is seen during a practice session at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane, Tuesday, December 31, 2019. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

Meanwhile, the mens’ ATP Cup field in Brisbane is just as stacked with Aussies Alex de Minaur and Nick Kyrgios facing the likes of ATP Finals winner Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece), world No. 7 Alexander Zverev (Germany) and Canadian ace Denis Shapovalov in Group F.

Group A is arguably even more impressive with world No. 2 Novak Djokovic beginning preparations on his return to Brisbane as Serbia eye off a Gael Monfils-led France alongside Kevin Anderson’s South Africa and Chile.

Pencil in this Friday 5.30pm and catch Australia take on Germany while next Monday’s clash between Serbia and France could see Djokovic and Monfils lock horns in a top-10 shootout.

World No.30 Nick Kyrgios will be front and centre at Brisbane’s Pat Rafter Arena for Australia in their Group F fixtures. Picture: Alex Pantling/Getty Images

ATP CUP DETAILS – BRISBANE

Group A Teams

Chile: Cristian Garin, Nicolas Jarry, Alejandro Tabilo, Marcelo Tomas Barrios Vera, Hans Podlipnik-Castillo

France: Gael Monfils, Lucas Pouille, Benoit Paire, Nicolas Mahut, Edouard Roger-Vasselin

Serbia: Novak Djokovic, Dusan Lajovic, Nikola Milojevic, Viktor Troicki, Nikola Cacic

South Africa: Kevin Anderson, Lloyd Harris, Ruan Roelofse, Khololwam Montsi, Raven Klaasen

Group F Teams

Australia: Alex de Minaur, Nick Kyrgios, John Millman, John Peers, Chris Guccione

Canada: Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Steven Diez, Peter Polansky, Adil Shamasdin

Germany: Alexander Zverev, Jan-Lennard Struff, Mats Moraing, Kevin Krawietz, Andreas Mies

Greece: Stefanos Tsitsipas, Michail Pervolarakis, Markos Kalovelonis, Petros Tsitsipas, Alexandros Skorilas

World No.6 and reigning ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas will be one to watch in the Brisbane Group Stages of the ATP Cup. Picture Julian Finney/Getty Images

ATP CUP FIXTURES – BRISBANE

DAY 1 (Friday January 3)

10AM: Greece v Canada (Group F)

5:30PM: Germany v Australia (Group F)

DAY 2 (Saturday January 4)

10AM: France v Chile (Group A)

5:30PM: Serbia v South Africa (Group A)

DAY 3 (Sunday January 5)

10AM: Canada v Australia (Group F)

5:30PM: Germany v Greece (Group F)

DAY 4 (Monday January 6)

10AM: South Africa v Chile (Group A)

5:30PM: Serbia v France (Group A)

DAY 5 (Tuesday January 7)

10AM: Germany v Canada (Group F)

5:30PM: Greece v Australia (Group F)

DAY 6 (Wednesday January 8)

10AM: Serbia v Chile (Group A)

5:30PM: France v South Africa (Group A)

Originally published as Everything you need to know about Brisbane’s summer of tennis