Former Australian pro Sam Groth slams Djokovic for Davis Cup comments

Much has been talked about lately about the Davis Cup and the possible move to the United Arab Emirates. Many players and former players have been asked about the topic and Novak Djokovic was no exception. Asked about it he said:

“Some people think we should stick to what the Davis Cup as a competition or as a format was before. I’m somewhere in between. I think you need to respect the tradition and the history, and you need to stick to the things that are recognisable that make this competition so important for the sport. At the same time you need to move forward and find new ways to improve the competition.”

Former Australian professional Sam Groth has since slammed Djokovic for his comments and labeled them as “contradictory”. Groth told the Australian television network Wide World of Sports that “I can tell you the sort of players who are going to show up to a 14-day event in Abu Dhabi. It is the ones that are currently defending the event that I’m sure are having some payment on the backside to support what is now called the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals."

Groth continued in his harsh criticism:

“This is not the Davis Cup but the players who are going to turn up are exactly like Novak Djokovic, in my opinion, who spoke up obviously rebutting Lleyton’s [Hewitt’s] comments about the tournament needing a change, it needs to be adjusted and needs to be played in different cities and then the finals in one city. I don’t have facts on this but I believe there is something going on with this group (Kosmos Tennis) is spending a lot of money and they have big financial backers in Abu Dhabi. Also for a guy who wants less tournaments throughout the year, a shorter season and to support something that goes into mid-December it is very contradictory.”