The Hopman Cup, once a staple of the Australian tennis summer, is to be played in the southern Italian city of Bari this year. The International Tennis Federation announced on Thursday that the mixed-team tournament, featuring squads from Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Canada and reigning champions Croatia, would be played between July 16-20, the week after Wimbledon. Hopman Cup teams consist of one male and one female player, with ties featuring one men's singles, one women's singles and a mixed doubles match. Hosts Italy will be represented by Jasmine Paolini and Flavio Cobolli, with squads for the other teams yet to be named. Named after Australian great Harry Hopman, the Cup began in 1989 and was played annually in Perth as a season-opener until 2020. It resumed in France in 2023 and was won by Croatia's Donna Vekic and Borna Coric, but last year's event, scheduled for Nice, France, was cancelled because of its proximity to the Olympics. The move to Bari adds to a busy tennis schedule in Italy, where the sport is booming with the successes of the likes of Paolini and Jannik Sinner. The country also hosts the ATP Finals and Davis Cup finals in November, as well as the Italian Open in May.