Players soak up the sun in Nice as the Hopman Cup returns

WATCH: The origin story of Holger Rune's backwards hat.

New location, same vibes. The Hopman Cup, tennis' storied mixed-gender team event that for decades kicked off each season Down Under, returns this week at a new home (on clay courts in Nice, France) and a dozen pumped-up players.

Six countries are represented in the field, divided into three round-robin groups. The players and countries participating are as follows:

Belgium: Elise Mertens and David Goffin

Croatia Donna Vekic and Borna Coric

Denmark: Clara Tauson and Holger Rune

Spain Rebeka Masarova (who replaced Paula Badosa) and Carlos Alcaraz

France Alizé Cornet and Richard Gasquet

Switzerland Celine Naef (who replaced Belinda Bencic) and Leandro Riedi

Taking advantage of summer in the French Riviera (who wouldn't?), the tournament kicked off in earnest with a cocktail reception, where the players got glammed up and hit the beach.

Before play began Wednesday, the players had some of the fun that Hopman Cup has historically been known for.

Trading smiles on media day, Cornet, Gasquet, Coric, Vekic and Rune spoke candidly about what legends of the past would make up their countries' dream Hopman Cup teams.

Later in the pre-tournament week, some of the participants joined in a kids' clinic presented by the Piatti Tennis Center.

For 30 years, the Hopman Cup was played in Perth, Australia, giving the ATP and WTA's biggest stars the opportunity to ease into their seasons while having the unique opportunity to suit up for their countries. It was replaced in 2020 by the ATP Cup, and since, the United Cup, which similarly brings men and women together on teams.

As in previous editions, the tournament format consists of one men's singles, one women's singles, and one mixed doubles match in each round-robin tie. The tournament returned officially with Wednesday's tilt between Denmark and Switzerland, which saw Riedi upset Rune despite more than 150 places between them in the ATP rankings.

The Swiss pair beat the Danes in the deciding mixed doubles rubber to become the first winners of the competition's new era.

The winners of each group will advance to the final, which will be played on Sunday.