The Hopman Cup will officially return to the tennis calendar next year after being replaced by the male-only ATP Cup in 2020. The final edition of the mixed-gender tournament saw Roger Federer and Serena Williams face off for the first and only time in 2019, and will now be staged in Nice in July 2023 following the conclusion of Wimbledon.
The International Tennis Federation announced the return of the Hopman Cup on Tuesday – almost four years after the mixed-gender team event was last staged in Perth, Australia in January 2019. The tournament was previously the only opportunity for male and female players to join forces outside of the Grand Slams but was scrapped in favour of the all-male ATP Cup.
While the ATP Cup will now be replaced by a new United Cup held in the lead-up to the Australian Open for both genders to team up once again, the Hopman Cup will also be returning with a new format, location and slot in the tennis calendar. The ITF confirmed that the Nice Lawn Tennis Club would stage the event in a five-year deal from 2023 to 2027, with the first edition of its revival taking place from July 19 to 23 next year, after Wimbledon.
The competition famously saw Federer and Williams face off for the first and only time on a tennis court back in 2019, when the Swiss star teamed up with Belinda Bencic to take on the 23-time Major champion and her compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the mixed doubles. The rare opportunity to see the two tennis icons meet on opposite sides of the net made front pages the following day before a bizarre decision was made to scrap the tournament altogether.
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The new format will see six teams playing across four days, with the draw expanded from 2025. “As in previous editions of the competition, each team will consist of one male and one female player, with ties between nations featuring one men’s singles match, one women’s singles match and a mixed doubles match,” a statement from the ITF read.
“Six teams will compete in the 2023 and 2024 editions, with the competition expanding to eight teams from 2025 onwards. As hosts, France will field a team each year.” As well as Federer and Williams, the event also saw the likes of Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Petra Kvitova and Angie Kerber join forces with their compatriots.
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David Haggerty, ITF President, added: “We are thrilled to partner with Tennium and that the Hopman Cup will return in 2023. We are already looking forward to visiting the beautiful city of Nice next July. The Hopman Cup, as a unique mixed team event, has always enjoyed a special place in the hearts of tennis fans, and I am sure that spectators in Nice will relish the chance to see some of the world’s top men and women players on the same court.
“I would like to thank our event partners, Tennium, for helping us reintroduce the Hopman Cup to the tennis calendar, and we look forward to working together over the coming months and years.”
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