The World Team Cup is the official world team championships of the ATP Tour. Held since 1978 on the clay courts of Dusseldorf, it is regarded as the next most important team competition in men’s tennis after the Davis Cup.

It’s an invitation only event featuring the eight nations whose two leading male players achieved the highest combined ranking at the end of the previous season. The format is a round-robin with two groups of four and then the winners of each group play for the title. Each tie consists of three matches, two singles and a doubles.

It’s the leading sporting event in the German city of Dusseldorf, attracting 75,000 spectators each year and the action is beamed to 160 countries around the world.

However as the years have gone by, the importance of the World Team Cup has gradually diminished. Back in its heyday it attracted superstars like John McEnroe, Boris Becker and Pete Sampras, but nowadays it struggles to draw the household names. In 2010, the tournament suffered a huge blow when main sponsor ARAG decided to discontinue its financial support and for a while it looked like the event would be no more. However a new sponsor in the shape of Power Horse was found in early 2011 and for now the future of this prestigious team tournament seems safe.

The tournament’s location in the calendar has become its biggest downfall in recent years. Held the week before the French Open, the game’s leading stars prefer to use that time practicing at Roland Garros and recuperating after the back to back Masters 1000 events in Rome and Madrid.

However, in some countries the World Team Cup is still regarded of the upmost importance. When Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu won the title for Chile back in 2003 they were hailed as heroes on their return home. 

To watch free live streams of the World Team Cup online, simply open a free account with one of our fully licensed live streaming partners such as bet365. To access the live feed, go to bet365 > live streaming tennis.