Teams confirmed for World Tennis League 2024: Badosa teams up with Tsitsipas, Halep joins Kyrgios

The 2024 World Tennis League will take place in Abu Dhabi on hard courts from December 19 to 22. This mixed-team tournament features some intriguing partnerships, with each team comprising two men and two women competing in a round-robin phase.

Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Paula Badosa, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Nick Kyrgios were among the initial confirmed players, but several adjustments were made after last-minute withdrawals (including Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz). Now, the teams are finalised and ready for action.

There are four teams competing for glory in one of the most exciting exhibition tournaments of recent years. Each tie includes a men’s singles match, a women’s singles match, and two doubles matches (which can be men’s, women’s, or mixed doubles, depending on the team that wins the toss).

The format includes unique rules: if the trailing team wins the fourth match (making the score 2-2 after singles and doubles), the tie enters Overtime (OT). OT continues until the leading team wins one more game or the trailing team equalises the total number of games.

If the game totals are tied, the match is decided in a Super Shootout. In this decider, the home team (listed first in the schedule) chooses the player, while the opposing team decides the side of the court and whether to serve or receive first. This rule ensures that every game matters until the very last moment, guaranteeing intense and competitive matches.

As in previous editions, the teams are Eagles, Falcons, Hawks, and Kites, offering exciting pairings

Team Eagles will be led by 5-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, joined by Paula Badosa (No. 12) and Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 11). Completing the team is Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko (No. 78), recently confirmed as a replacement for Hubert Hurkacz.

Team Falcons will feature 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina (No. 6) and Russia’s Andrey Rublev (No. 8) as their top-ranked players. They’ll be joined by Caroline Garcia (No. 48) and Denis Shapovalov (No. 56), two former top-10 players aiming to reclaim their spots among the elite in the upcoming season.

Team Hawks, led by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, also faced last-minute changes. Taylor Fritz’s withdrawal opened the door for Australian Jordan Thompson (No. 26), who will debut in the competition. The team is rounded out by teenager Mirra Andreeva (No. 16), a key player in the Hawks’ victory last year, and rising Indian star Sumit Nagal (No. 98).

Team Kites will be headlined by two top-10 players: 3-time Grand Slam runner-up Casper Ruud (No. 6) and 2-time major finalist Jasmine Paolini (No. 4). Completing the lineup are two players who’ve been absent from the Tour in recent seasons: former Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, returning after injuries and a doping suspension, and Nick Kyrgios, back on court following two years of injuries. It will be interesting to watch the Australian team up with the Romanian, considering his recent criticisms of doping cases involving Sinner and Swiatek.