"They are killing the competition" says Lleyton Hewitt about proposed Davis Cup move to Abu Dhabi

The Davis Cup Finals are currently undergoing and news about a possible change to the event has caused a lot of reactions from the tennis community.

In a media report from a few days ago, it was revealed that Kosmos, who manages the Davis Cup since a few years ago is nearing a deal to move the competition to the United Arab Emirates. That news created a lot of reactions in the tennis community with many openly questionable of the move. The recent changes to the Davis Cup format, led by Kosmos did not find a lot of approvement either.

Several players spoke out about a possible move to Abu Dhabi but Australia Davis Cup Captain Lleyton Hewitt was very critical of the move. When asked about it he harshly said:

"If they are going and selling the soul of the Davis Cup to the Middle East for another five years, I think it's ridiculous, and they are really killing the competition."

Hewitt is not a fan of the current format as well explaining that the Davis Cup he remembers is something entirely different. He explained:

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"I think it's ridiculous. It's not what Davis Cup is about. I have been pretty vocal about the whole thing for the last three or four years now. Even for us here tonight, this is a wonderful stadium but it's not a massive crowd. That's not what Davis Cup is about. Some of my greatest memories are playing in Davis Cup, semis and finals in front of packed houses."

Hewitt continued his harsh critcisim of the changes finishing up with:

"Davis Cup was held in the highest regard because it was up there with the pinnacle of our sport in men's tennis, which was five sets. We threw that out the door, and now we are throwing the home and away out the door, as well. Playing a qualifying tie here or there, best-of-three sets, is not the same as having home-and-away main draw matches throughout the year."