Davis Cup Finals to move to the United Arab Emirates in the future

The change came after Kosmos, a production company headed by Barcelona footballer Gerard Pique took over the organization of the event. They changed the format in order to make the event a 'festival of tennis' that took place in Madrid in 2019 before taking on this hybrid format due to the pandemic. The change did not sit well with tennis purists who prefer the more intimate format from years past.

Alexander Zverev is one player who notably spoke out against it declining to play for Germany in the event as long as the current format sticks. New reports suggest it's not only here to stay but it will also be held in a very specific place moving forward. The Daily Telegraph is reporting that Kosmos signed a multi-year deal to move the whole event exclusively to the United Arab Emirates.

Abu Dhabi is said to be the proposed main base although other parts of the country could also be utilized in a World Cup-type event. GB’s Davis Cup captain Leon Smith said of the plans: “I’m only hearing it second-hand. If it’s true what potentially might be happening, I think it would be good to be able to talk about it before any decisions are made."

Smith further said:

If you talk to any of the players or the captains who’ve experienced the atmosphere, the environment is so important. Whether that’s home, whether that’s away, it’s got to be full crowds, it’s got to be what’s best for the players and the schedules.”