The International Tennis Federation said on Thursday that the women's tennis tournament will be a six-day final tournament in April, next year, with 12 teams to receive 18 million dollars on Clay Court in Budapest, Hungary.
ITF has already transformed the Davis Cup into a similar pattern, with the first 18-team final event to be played in Madrid in November.
ITF President David Haggarty said in a statement: "We consulted the stakeholders and listened and worked with WTA and its player council, to ensure that the new format represents the interests of the players."
Changes in the Fed Cup reduces the stress on the tennis calendar for three to two weeks with qualifying matches in February. Seven months after the semi-final in the current system, there is a final series in November.
However, in the final tournament a new round robin phase means that players will play more matches.
In the final tournament, only 10 out of the 12 teams have qualified on merit basis. The organizers will offer a team of wild cards and Hungary, which have not played top-level Fed Cup tennis since 2002, guaranteeing a spot as a host.
The first two teams to guarantee qualifying are Australia and France, which will play in the Fed Cup final in Perth in November this year.
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