Newly formed United Cup to be played without Russian or Belarusian players
ATP
In 2023, a new tournament will be held at the start of the season, called the United Cup, but it will be held without Russian and Belarusian players.
There seems to be demand for team competitions at the start of the new season in Australia. Between 1989 and 2019, the Hopman Cup always kicked off the new season, and it was one of the most popular competitions in the sport.
But in 2020, it disappeared from the calendar, and the tournament was replaced by the ATP Cup. The ATP Cup also had plenty of success, but it was only for ATP players, so WTA players didn't have a chance to enter a team competition.
That problem should be solved at the start of the 2023 season, as the United Cup will be held in Australia. There will be 18 countries competing in the event, which will take place in three different cities, not just one.
It will take place between December 29th and January 9th and include group matches in Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. The format will be the best-of-five matches ties with two men's singles matches, two women's singles matches, and one mixed doubles match.
Although the competition will make many players happy, players from Russia or Belarus will not be able to compete in this event organized by Tennis Australia.
The reason for this is simple. Athletes from these countries are allowed to compete under a neutral flag, but they can't form a team based on their nationality, as that wouldn't make sense, given the rules laid out. The tournament director, Stephen Farrow, confirmed this.
"If you're doing a national team competition when players obviously are playing for that flag and for that national pride. All we're doing is taking the same position that the whole of the sport has taken."
As a result, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Victoria Azarenka, and Aryna Sabalenka will all be forced to miss this tournament.
