"For the sake of tennis and its history, this competition must survive": Djokovic calls for overhaul of Davis Cup Finals format
Tennis NewsFriday, 15 September 2023 at 11:00
Novak Djokovic has urged the ITF (International Tennis Federation) to begin discourse with players surrounding the future of the Davis Cup, with major concerns about the current structure.
Starting in 1900, the Davis Cup is one of the longest running tournaments in tennis, but in recent years has gone under a relaunch after Kosmos went into partnership with ITF.
It resulted in the removal of home and away ties and was a deal due to last 25 years. But it was terminated earlier this year with a legal dispute with the company ran by Gerard Pique, former Barcelona footballer.
Stan Wawrinka took to Twitter to criticise the lack of crowd against France in Glasgow and tagged Pique who responded simply when asked about the deal ending: "We still don't know, let's see what the judge says."
Well for Djokovic, he wants to see an overhaul. “The format needs an overhaul, of course, but not being in the ITF I can’t tell you what’s going on,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner told reporters prior to his appearance for Serbia this weekend.
“I hope they consult the players for the change because they never consult us. I think players should participate much more in these types of changes, we all have to sit down together and talk about the future. If the ITF doesn’t do things right, I honestly don’t know what will happen to this tournament.’
“For the sake of tennis and its history, this competition must survive, because it is the longest-running team competition we have. There is nothing more important than representing your country, so we’ll see how they redefine the format.”
But he levies blame at the door of the ITF over Pique and Kosmos and says the former should receive criticism instead.
“I don’t think it’s Piqué’s fault, so I’m not going to criticize him,” he continued. “I think that the ITF is the one who makes that last decision, the one they made five years ago to modify the format.’
“He joined the Kosmos Group because they saw an opportunity to grow, but I don’t see anyone complaining to the ITF. The format generates various opinions, some in favour and others against, but five years ago everyone was betting on a change of format, everyone agreed that the old format needed a change.’
“Now it’s time to find that balance with a format that works. The first year, in 2019, everyone played in Madrid, leaving 99% of countries without the possibility of playing at home. Serbia, for example, has not played a home qualifier for 4-5 years, it is too long for us, a long time without letting the Serbs see their players.”
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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