tennisnet.com ATP › ATP Cup

ATP Cup: will we ever see these stars at the start?

The ATP Cup will enter its third round at the beginning of January 2022. Some tennis superstars may never have the pleasure of having served in the most recent team competition.

by Jens Huiber
last edit: Dec 08, 2021, 03:53 pm

Murray, Wawrinka, Federer, del Potro - the ATP Cup misses them more than the other way around
© GEPA Pictures
Murray, Wawrinka, Federer, del Potro - the ATP Cup misses them more than the other way around

Whether it makes sense to organize two very similar team formats in tennis as close to each other as the Davis Cup that has just been completed and the ATP Cup, which is due to start in Sydney in less than four weeks, is unanimous in the scene it not. Something has to give, the Anglophile likes to say. The ATP Cup will not go away so easily, the date at the beginning of the year fits into the professional schedules too perfectly.

A merger seems unlikely at the moment, too great are the financial interests that the ITF and the marketers Kosmos are linking to the Davis Cup finals. Will there be a window in autumn? Questionable. Because you have to rely on the goodwill of the tournament organizers again.

Regardless of the organizational problems, most of the people involved seem to have a lot of fun playing in a team. Especially under the Australian sun. However, a few more or less active superstars of the sport may never have enjoyed serving at the ATP Cup.

Federer injured, Wawrinka missing

There would be Juan Martin del Potro, for example. If the wrist is just exceptionally involved in the 2009 US Open Champion, then the knee reliably reports to del Potro. The Argentine was last seen as a guest at the US Open in New York City, and del Potro seemed a long way away from being able to show high-level competitive tennis again. Argentina will be there in 2022, Diego Schwartzman and Federico Delbonis will try to shine in the singles.

And what about the Swiss? Roger Federer would have had the chance to play at the ATP Cup in 2020, the maestro then perhaps wanted to start a little more relaxed this early in the year (like at the Hopman Cup). Stan Wawrinka has long since withdrawn from tennis. Return date: open. Federer and Wawrinka won the Davis Cup together, the only real one, as traditionalists would say. The two confederates only know the finals in Madrid and the ATP Cup in Australia from television. It can be assumed, however, that Federer and Wawrinka had better things to do than playing the ever-young hit Sonego versus Gojo in the live stream.

Murray at least with the Madrid experience

There remains Andy Murray , who at least took a look at the new world order in the Davis Cup in Madrid in 2019. For the ATP Cup, the three-time major champion is not an option, the world rankings of Cameron Norrie and Daniel Evans are too good.

At the end of the day, however, it could also be that the ATP Cup is missing more than the players themselves, who then never played there, due to the lack of the legends mentioned.

by Jens Huiber

Wednesday
Dec 08, 2021, 09:00 pm
last edit: Dec 08, 2021, 03:53 pm