ATP Cup: New-look summer of tennis still a work in progress

The changing face of Australia’s summer of tennis will continue to evolve in coming seasons.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal in action against Australia’s Alex de Minaur in their ATP Cup semi-final in Sydney. Picture: AAP

The return of international competition to Adelaide on Sunday night for the first time in over a decade marked the continuation of what has been a summer of change for Australian tennis.

Emerging Australian talent ­Alexei Popyrin had the honour of playing the opening match of the Adelaide International at the ­revamped Memorial Drive, as ­Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic took centre stage in the ATP Cup final in Sydney.

The South Australian capital has hosted an exhibition event through the past decade but is one of the main beneficiaries of the radical changes sparked by the ­introduction of the ATP Cup to the calendar.

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Ticket sales for the tournament, which is headlined by local stars Ash Barty and Alex de ­Minaur, are understood to be ­extremely strong.

While there is much to like about the ATP Cup, it cannot be called a universal success given some of the concerns that flared.

In this tale of three cities, there were clear winners and losers.

As long-term tennis administrator Peter Johnston told The Australian last week, more change is coming. And what the summer looks like in 2020 is certain to change again within a couple of years.

The calibre of tennis and the passion on display over the past 10 days adds to the legitimacy of the ATP Cup. The clashes that occurred over the opening week of the event are unprecedented so early in the season.

The second day saw a rematch of the 2018 Wimbledon final between Novak Djokovic and Kevin Anderson, and the tournament finished with the 55th meeting between two legends of the sport.

Nadal spoke out on a logistics issue for the event, with teams qualifying from the Western Australian leg disadvantaged by the three-hour time difference to the east coast.

There are also clearly issues in terms of the timing of matches, with several ties finishing well past midnight, which is problematic for fans who rely on public transport to get home.

Perth was the hardest hit by the schedule change and will be hopeful of better luck at the draw for next year.

The shelving of the Hopman Cup saw Perth attendances drop by half, suggesting many WA fans are devastated by the loss of the mixed teams tournament.

Sydney was dealt blows of its own when Roger Federer and Andy Murray withdrew, but the knockout stages of the cup were well supported, particularly the night sessions.

Brisbane benefited with the presence of the Australians in a high-quality group and Djokovic in the other section, with Serbia’s ties well attended throughout.

But the Brisbane International, a tournament that was built largely on the back of the quality of its women’s event, which was extremely high again this year, was forced into the uncomfortable position of forcing the WTA event outdoors for the first three days.

Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley has confirmed discussions are ongoing with the WTA Tour in the hope of creating a new event of similar significance to the ATP Cup in coming seasons. Whether the women actually want a change is not certain, and the competitors in Brisbane this week were mixed in their ­response to the idea.

The decision to pursue the ATP Cup has already sparked an infrastructure boom in terms of tennis venues around the nation, and this is certain to continue in Brisbane at the very least.

The combination of Brisbane bidding for the 2032 Olympic Games and the scheduling storm that occurred as a result of the clash between the ATP Cup and the women’s event has furthered discussion between Tennis Australia and Queensland government officials.

Olympic officials visited Pat Rafter Arena during the week to assess a site that will undergo ­another significant revamp in the coming years.

A second stadium with a ­capacity of 4000 and multi-sport capabilities similar to Melbourne Arena is in the pipeline to be built on the southern side of the site.

Land is believed to have been secured in an adjoining development that will allow the necessary space to build a stadium that will be smaller than the 5500-capacity Pat Rafter Arena.

Meanwhile, preparations for the Australian Open are on in earnest in Melbourne.

Swiss stars Federer and Stan Wawrinka are among top-ranked competitors who will be practising on Rod Laver Arena on Monday.

Qualifying for the Australian Open, which will carry a record $71m in total prizemoney, begins on Tuesday.