The ATP and WTA announced on Friday that the 2023 season will begin with a new mixed tennis competition, the United Cup, organized in Australia from December 29 to January 8, AFP reported.

This competition will be provided with prizes in the amount of 15 million dollars and will allow to add points to the world ranking, clarified the courts of the world professional tennis.

United Cup, a new competition organized by ATP and WTA

The combined cup, which will be shared between Brisbane, Perth and Sydney, will be played by 18 countries, each represented by a maximum of eight players (four for men, four for women).

In particular, 18 countries will participate in the first stage (December 29 – January 4), divided into six groups of three, with two men’s singles, two women’s singles and one mixed doubles. Brisbane, Perth and Sydney will each host two of the six groups.

In each of the three cities, the winners of the two groups will meet each other, and the three qualified countries will compete in the next stage in Sydney (January 6-8). The fourth, top seed in the first round, will complete the Final Four.

The final will take place on January 8, eight days before the start of the Australian Open tournament, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, writes Agerpres.

“The United Cup is an important strategic collaboration between the WTA, ATP and Tennis Australia, reflecting the continued commitment to the development of our sport” – Steve Simon, WTA President.

“We are excited to see our best players with ATP and WTA points on the line for an unprecedented start to the season” – Andrea Gaudenzi, President of ATP.