Hopman Cup is back, in a new place and new time of the year

The five-year agreement means the mixed team event returns, but it faces a lot of competition in its new slot, the week after Wimbledon

Simon Cambers

December 6, 2022

The Hopman Cup – always one of the popular events with the players – is back.

The mixed team event was removed from the calendar after 2019, having been a fixture with players and fans since 1989 in its traditional slot in the first week of the year, including the likes of Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic over the years.

https://twitter.com/hopmancup/status/1600089404705411078

Replaced by the short-lived ATP Cup, it is back, but in a new place – Nice Lawn Tennis Club in the south of France- and in a new slot, in the week after Wimbledon, specifically from July 19-23.

New Hopman Cup clashes with many events

The event will have some competition of its own, however. There are three events on the ATP Tour that week – in Bastad, Gstaad and Newport, Rhode Island, and Iasi, Romania, Budapest and Palermo. And it will also clash with the UTS, which will be played in the United States that weekend.

In an emailed statement, ITF president David Haggerty said: “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.”

The Hopman Cup is back, so along with the United Cup, tennis will have two mixed team events in 2023. Played on clay in Nice, and initially featuring six teams, it will unfortunately struggle to attract the best as it’s staged the week after Wimbledon.
— Russell Fuller (@russellcfuller) December 6, 2022

Same tried and trusted format

The five-year deal sees the event played at the Nice Lawn Tennis Club, with the same format as used in the past.

That means each team will consist of one man and one woman, with two singles matches and a mixed doubles match each time. Six nations will compete in 2023 and 2024, expanding to eight teams from 2025 onwards. Hosts France are guaranteed a place each year.

There have been calls for the Hopman Cup to return ever since it was removed from the calendar, but Tuesday’s announcement was something of a surprise, not least since the ATP and WTA have combined for a new mixed team event, the United Cup, starting in 2023.