Rafael Nadal is in Australia ahead of the inaugural ATP Cup, a team competition taking place in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane between January 3-12.

Nadal’s teammates are Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta, and Feliciano Lopez, and they will be up against Japan, Georgia and Uruguay.

Only the top team from the six groups is guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals. The two best second-placed teams fill the other spots.

Roger Federer’s Switzerland are notable absentees. The Australian Open starts on January 20.

The countries taking part in the ATP Cup are as follows:

Brisbane

Group A: Serbia, France, South Africa, Chile

Group F: Germany, Greece, Canada, Australia

Perth:

Group B: Spain, Japan, Georgia, Uruguay

Group D: Russia, Italy, USA, Norway

Sydney

Group C: Belgium, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Moldova

Group E: Austria, Croatia, Argentina, Poland