Hopman Cup mixed-team event set for Bari in July

BARI, Italy (AP) — This year's Hopman Cup will be played in the southern Italian city of Bari, the International Tennis Federation announced Thursday.

The mixed-team tournament featuring squads from Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Canada and reigning champion Croatia is scheduled for July 16-20 — the week after Wimbledon.

Hopman Cup teams consist of one male and one female player. Ties feature one men's singles match, one women's singles match and a mixed doubles match. The tournament does not award ranking points.

Host Italy will be represented by Jasmine Paolini and Flavio Cobolli. Players for other teams have not been named yet.

Paolini was a finalist at the French Open and Wimbledon last year and won the women's doubles titles at the Paris Olympics with partner Sara Errani.

Named after Australian great Harry Hopman, the Hopman Cup started in 1989 and was played annually until 2020. It resumed in France in 2023 and was won by Croatia's Donna Vekic and Borna Coric.

For 30 years, the event was held in Perth, Australia, and was played in the opening week of the tennis season.

Last year's event scheduled for Nice, France, was canceled because of its proximity to the Olympics.

The move to Bari adds to a busy tennis schedule in Italy, which also hosts the ATP Finals and Davis Cup finals in November — plus the Italian Open in May.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis