World Team Cup Explained

World Team Cup
Logo Size:100px
City:Düsseldorf
Venue:Rochusclub
Founded:1975
Abolished:2012
Editions:34
Category:ATP World Tour 250 series
Surface:Clay / outdoors
Draw:8 teams (round-robin)
Prize Money:US$1,764,700
Website:World-Team-Cup.com

The World Team Cup was the international men's team championship of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). The inaugural edition of the tournament was contested in 1975 in Kingston, Jamaica and was called the Nations Cup.[1] [2] No tournament was held in 1976 and 1977. From 1978 through 2012 the tournament was held annually in Düsseldorf, Germany. It was generally considered to be second most prestigious men's team competition in tennis after the Davis Cup.

Every year, the eight nations whose top two male players have achieved the highest combined placings in the men's world rankings at the end of the previous year were invited to compete for the cup.

The competition was played on clay courts in Düsseldorf, Germany. The event was generally regarded as the sports highlight of the social scene in the Düsseldorf area. It attracted around 75,000 visitors every year and was televised to over 160 countries.

From 1978 to 1981 the tournament was held under the name "Ambre Solaire Nations Cup", from 1982 until 1986 it was named "Ambre Solaire World Team Cup", from 1987–1999 "Peugeot World Team Cup" and from 2000 the event's main sponsor until 2010 was the ARAG Insurance Group, and its sponsored name was the "ARAG World Team Cup".[3]

After ARAG discontinued sponsorship for the event and organizers failed to find a new sponsor, the 2011 edition of the tournament was initially cancelled.[4] However, a new sponsor — Power Horse — was found in January 2011 and the 2011 edition took place between May 15–21 under the name "Power Horse World Team Cup".[5]

In October 2012 it was announced that the World Team Cup event would be discontinued and replaced by the Power Horse Cup, an ATP 250 tournament in Düsseldorf.[6] [7]

In September 2017 it was announced that there were plans to revive the tournament: the ATP had proposed a 24 team tournament to be played over 10 days at venues around Australia in January, which would offer 1000 ranking points to any player who won all their matches.[8]

In January 2018 it was mooted to start in 2019 or 2020 with the backing from Tennis Australia,[9] In the end, the ATP decided to launch the competition as the ATP Cup, a separate tournament to the World Team Cup, in 2020.[10]

On 7 August 2022, Tennis Australia announced that the ATP Cup would be shut down, to be replaced by a mixed-gender United Cup from 2023.

Past finals

YearChampionsRunners-upScore
2–1
1976 Not held
1977 Not held
2–1
2–1
1980 3–0
1981 2–1
1982 2–0
1983 2–1
1984 2–1
1985 2–1
1986 2–1
1987 2–1
1988 2–0
1989 2–1
1990 3–0
1991 2–1
1992 2–0
1993 3–0
1994 2–1
1995 2–1
1996 2–1
1997 3–0
1998 3–0
1999 2–1
2000 3–0
2001 2–1
3–0
2–1
2–1
2–1
2–1
2–1
2–1
2–1
2–1
2–1
3–0

Titles by country

width=25 Titles won !width=150Country !width=275Years Won !width=280Runners Up
5 1975, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1993 (5) 1987, 1988, 1990, 2010 (4)
1989, 1994, 1998, 2005, 2011 (5) 1993, 2006, 2009 (3)
4 1980, 2002, 2007, 2010 (4) 1989, 2005, 2011 (3)
1988, 1991, 1995, 2008 (4) 1986, 1999 (2)
1978, 1983, 1992, 1997 (4) 1994 (1)
3 1979, 1999, 2001 (3) 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1997, 2004 (6)
2 1981, 1987 (2)1984, 1985 (2)
2003, 2004 (2)
2009, 2012 (2)
1 1990 (1) 1991 (1)
2006 (1) 1995 (1)
1986 (1)
1996 (1)
2000 (1)
0 1992, 1996, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2012 (6)
2000, 2001, 2002, 2008 (4)
1979, 1980 (2)
1975 (1)

Fair Play Trophy

Presented since 1989, the Fair Play Trophy was awarded by an international jury of tennis journalists and the captains of the competing nations.[11] [12]

YearPlayer
Stefan Edberg
Martín Jaite
Eric Jelen
Guy Forget
Pete Sampras
Magnus Gustafsson
Stefan Edberg
Jakob Hlasek
Michael Stich
Petr Korda
Àlex Corretja
Patrick Rafter
Patrick Rafter
Pete Sampras
Todd Martin
Sjeng Schalken
Jonas Björkman
James Blake
Jonas Björkman
James Blake
Rainer Schüttler
Lleyton Hewitt
Philipp Kohlschreiber
Robin Söderling
Tomáš Berdych

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: World of Tennis '76 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. 1976. Queen Anne Press. London. 9780362002768. 650229036. 196. John Barrett. John Barrett (tennis).
  2. Book: World of Tennis 1980 : a BP yearbook. 1980. Queen Anne Press. London. 9780362020120. 237184610. 238. John Barrett. John Barrett (tennis).
  3. Web site: Tennis – Alle Sieger des World Team Cup. sportmomente.de. 17 January 2023.
  4. News: World Team Cup 2011 scrapped due to lack of a sponsor . 13 December 2010 . 13 December 2010 . Reuters . Karolos Grohmann. Alan Baldwin .
  5. News: World Team Cup back in 2011 schedule with new sponsor . Reuters . 25 January 2011.
  6. Web site: World Team Cup Event Ends After 35 Years. TennisNow. 18 October 2012. 4 Oct 2012.
  7. Web site: ATP Discontinues World Team Cup Competition, Dusseldorf Will Get 250 Series Event Instead. SportsBusiness. 18 October 2012. October 4, 2012.
  8. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-tennis-men-world-exclusive/exclusive-tennis-world-team-cup-with-ranking-points-could-start-in-2019-idUKKCN1BI2V2 Reuters
  9. Web site: World Team Cup to be re-introduced in the ATP Calendar in 2019 or 2020. Tennis World USA. 5 January 2018 . 13 January 2019.
  10. Web site: ATP Unveils 'ATP Cup' Team Event For 2020 Season - ATP Tour - Tennis. ATP Tour. 13 January 2019.
  11. News: Berdych presented Fair Play Trophy in Düsseldorf . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120629145123/http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2012/05/21/Dusseldorf-Friday-Berdych-Receives-Fair-Play-Trophy.aspx . 29 June 2012 .
  12. News: Power Horse World Team Cup – Fair Play Trophy . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120501181852/http://www.world-team-cup.com/en/fair_play_trophy . 1 May 2012 .