THE Australian summer circuit of tennis is to be radically overhauled after Tennis Australia won the rights to stage the World Team Cup from 2020.

In a move which could spell the death knell for traditional men’s events in Sydney and Brisbane, the event will feature 24 teams offering $US 15 million prizemoney.

Rankings points will also be available.

Adelaide, which has been without a top-level event since the former South Australian men’s Open merged with the Queensland women’s Open to form the Brisbane International, is likely to be part of the World Team Cup.

While details remain vague, Perth and Brisbane are also expected to be part of the event with the final being staged in Sydney.

The ATP World Tour has effectively beaten the International Tennis Federation to the punch after the ITF set out plans for a rival 18-team end-of-season event to crown the Davis Cup champions from 2019.

The consequences for the Davis Cup are unknown.

In May, ATP executive chairman Chris Kermode said staging both tournaments within six weeks would be “insane.”

Today, Kermode said: “This announcement will change the landscape of the ATP World Tour.

“We believe this outcome will deliver long-term sustainability not only financially but also from a player health perspective, which is critical.

“This event has huge potential and we now look forward to working together with Tennis Australia in bringing our vision to fruition.”

The tournament had previously taken place in Dusseldorf from 1978 to 2012.

National federations will vote at the ITF AGM in August on proposals to transform the Davis Cup, culminating in an 18-nation World Cup-style tournament at the end of the season in November.

Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley said: “Upon finalising the agreement with the ATP we look forward to unveiling a stunning new global event in Australia to launch the season.

“The world’s top players will continue to start their year in Australia in a format that we believe will deeply engage the fans across Australia and throughout the world.

“It will be a great result to be able to stage the ATP World Team Cup within the current calendar while significantly improving player prizemoney.”