“They've really screwed it up": Lleyton Hewitt expresses discontent with the current Davis Cup format

Despite Australia's qualification for the finals, Captain Lleyton Hewitt criticized the Davis Cup format.

Australia had a challenging start in the Davis Cup group stage, beginning with a 2-1 loss to Great Britain, where they lost both singles matches and salvaged a point in the doubles.

Facing a do-or-die situation against France, they lost the first singles match (Mannarino defeated Purcell), and they were on the brink of elimination. However, the Australians won the next two matches to secure the series. In the final day of competition, they achieved a convincing 3-0 victory over Switzerland, earning them a spot in the finals that will take place in November in Malaga.

Despite the qualification, Captain Hewitt criticized the current format of the tournament:

"I've said for years the two greatest things that Davis Cup had was the best-of-five sets, because it was the pinnacle of our sport, and the home and away format,"

"Playing in front of 500 or 1000 people, it's not the same. But as I've told my team all the time, the pride comes in wearing the green and gold, so for us no matter what the format is, we're still gonna go out there and leave it all on the line,” he said

"But do I agree this format is good? No, not for a minute," Hewitt added

"We've gotta get rid of people at the top ... we've seen what's happened, it was meant to be a 25-year thing and it's turned into a four-year disaster.

"So until changes are made, we're gonna sit back and go through exactly the same stuff every year.

"I can say until the cows come home, but they've really screwed it up."

Hewitt joins the criticisms of other tennis players, such as Stan Wawrinka, John Millman, and Andy Murray. The former world No. 1 from Britain voiced his concerns after his team's qualification.

"It is a shame when France and Australia, two of the biggest tennis nations who love their Davis Cup, and they're playing in front of what feels like an empty stadium."