Davis Cup is (soon to be) dead, long live Davis Cup?

M

merlinpinpin

Hall of Fame
Davis Cup set to be revamped into World Cup-style tournament

It is hoped the new event would be played in one location over seven days at the end of each season.
The Davis Cup is set to be transformed into an 18-nation World Cup-style tournament under new proposals put forward by the International Tennis Federation.

It is hoped the new event, named the World Cup of Tennis Finals, would feature the game’s leading international stars and be played in one location over seven days at the end of each season.

It would involve a round-robin stage with the top eight teams moving forward to knock-out rounds.

The proposal has been unanimously endorsed by the ITF board of directors and will be submitted for approval at the annual general meeting in Orlando, Florida in August.

The ITF has announced a 25-year partnership, worth three billion US dollars, with investment group Kosmos to fund the tournament. The federation says “several world-class cities” have already expressed interest in hosting the event.

ITF president David Haggerty said: “This is a complete game-changer for the ITF and for tennis. Our vision is to create a major season-ending finale that will be a festival of tennis and entertainment, featuring the world’s greatest players representing their nations to decide the Davis Cup champions.

“This new partnership will not only create a true World Cup of Tennis, but will also unlock record levels of new investment for future generations of tennis players and fans around the world.”

Matches would consist of two singles rubbers and one doubles, over best-of-three sets.

The event will also feature a play-off round which will allow eight nations to qualify for the following year’s finals, while the current zone group competition will continue underneath that.

Barcelona and Spain footballer Gerard Pique, the founder and president of Kosmos, said: “Kosmos is thrilled to join in this exciting partnership with the ITF. Together we can elevate Davis Cup to new heights by putting on a must-see World Cup of Tennis Finals featuring the top nations and top players.”

https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/da...d-cup-style-tournament_sto6656657/story.shtml


So, Hopman Cup with men only in the team instead of male + female players? Talk about a 'new' format, lol...
 
M

merlinpinpin

Hall of Fame
It will probably come after and cut into the off-season break (a throwback to the 80's where players who played the Davis Cup final didn't even have two weeks off before the new season began?). Can't say I'm thrilled with the format, two Hopman Cups within a one-month timeframe really feel like one too many.

Plus, Davis Cup was special (sure, there were problems, but robbing the competition of everything that made it stand out is probably the worst possible way of "fixing" it as far as I'm concerned). :mad:
 
V

Vrad

Professional
sureshs said:
How will this affect the existing YEC?
Click to expand...
I would be ok with replacing the YEC with this.

I think this may be a good way to build interest in lesser known players. It’s a much more interesting and exciting format than the current Davis cup, and could lead to British citizens, for example, learning more about the #3 and #4 players in their country and following them as well.
 
R

Rainalkar

Rookie
Hopefully they finally drop that stupid name of the Cup. Just imagine if the football World Cup was named after some official? It would sound completely ridiculous.
 
R

Rainalkar

Rookie
Hopefully they finally drop that stupid name of the Cup. Just imagine if the football World Cup was named after some official? It would sound completely ridiculous.
 
Red Rick

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
Hey look! shorter off season!

Should call it the Aussie Open Suicide Trophy.

If I were a player I'd move my off season to directly after the USO, let the Asian swing get ****ed, tank Basel/Vienna play Paris, WTF, World Team cup, but tank as soon as I feel fatigued

Rest in Pepperoni Davis Cup, talk about getting replaced by a glorified ****ing exho
 
Last edited:
AiRFederer

AiRFederer

Hall of Fame
Vrad said:
I would be ok with replacing the YEC with this.

I think this may be a good way to build interest in lesser known players. It’s a much more interesting and exciting format than the current Davis cup, and could lead to British citizens, for example, learning more about the #3 and #4 players in their country and following them as well.
Click to expand...
Sure. Lets just replace the 5th biggest tournament in the world for something unproven...
 
D

Deleted member 756486

Guest
octobrina10 said:
Rafa is always on Fedlovers' (quoted) mind.
Click to expand...
;)
icoefa.jpg
 
tacou

tacou

G.O.A.T.
Some positives and some negatives. Best of 3?? Less offseason? Yet another attack on Hopman Cup?!
 
M

merlinpinpin

Hall of Fame
Vrad said:
I would be ok with replacing the YEC with this
Click to expand...

Or maybe they should use this opportunity to scratch Roland Garros and use the extra week to add a grass M1000 before Wimbledon. Tennis wins, right?

Thought not... ;)

Vrad said:
I think this may be a good way to build interest in lesser known players. It’s a much more interesting and exciting format than the current Davis cup, and could lead to British citizens, for example, learning more about the #3 and #4 players in their country and following them as well.
Click to expand...

I fail to see how playing *fewer* matches would help the general public to know more players. Is Murray playing all rubbers by himself at the moment (including doubles)?

Thought not... ;)
 
George Turner

George Turner

Hall of Fame
Federer now has to win the World cup of tennis finals to confirm his place as the GOAT.

Like Lionel Messi, those questions over his GOATness will remain until he wins a world cup.
 
S

sarmpas

Hall of Fame
George Turner said:
Federer now has to win the World cup of tennis finals to confirm his place as the GOAT.

Like Lionel Messi, those questions over his GOATness will remain until he wins a world cup.
Click to expand...

Nope because for football the World Cup is the greatest trophy whereas this WC for tennis is an attempt to repackage what is to quite a few fans a failed product.
 
F

Fedforever

Hall of Fame
Red Rick said:
Hey look! shorter off season!

Should call it the Aussie Open Suicide Trophy.

If I were a player I'd move my off season to directly after the USO, let the Asian swing get ****ed, tank Basel/Vienna play Paris, WTF, World Team cup, but tank as soon as I feel fatigued

Rest in Pepperoni Davis Cup, talk about getting replaced by a glorified ****ing exho
Click to expand...

Yes I really can't see the top players being interested in this. The off season is pretty short as it is.
 
Otacon

Otacon

Hall of Fame
Mardy Fish : Davis Cup moving to a 1 week event at the end of the year is LONG overdue. Now just make it every other year and we are cookin.
Jurgen Melzer : I usually agree with u... but not on this one... smaller countries losing their chance to see their stars on home soil... plus home and away atmosphere is gone... wasn’t that what DC was all about?
Mardy Fish : What stars? No one played anymore dude. And yes on the home court advantage. That will be missed. Have some great memories from playing in some pretty loud spots. I’m sure you do too...
 
F

Fedforever

Hall of Fame
George Turner said:
Federer now has to win the World cup of tennis finals to confirm his place as the GOAT.

Like Lionel Messi, those questions over his GOATness will remain until he wins a world cup.
Click to expand...

Don't see Fed playing in this. For starters it might be seen as undermining his own Laver Cup.
 
T

Tennis_Hands

Banned
Melzer is right.

This format will rob the competition from its uniqueness and create a bland marketing driven borefest.

Also, 2/3.

Also, after a whole season most/all? top players will be literally dying to participate.

Didn't the national federations have a say in this?

:cool:
 
Red Rick

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
Otacon said:
Mardy Fish : Davis Cup moving to a 1 week event at the end of the year is LONG overdue. Now just make it every other year and we are cookin.
Jurgen Melzer : I usually agree with u... but not on this one... smaller countries losing their chance to see their stars on home soil... plus home and away atmosphere is gone... wasn’t that what DC was all about?
Mardy Fish : What stars? No one played anymore dude. And yes on the home court advantage. That will be missed. Have some great memories from playing in some pretty loud spots. I’m sure you do too...
Click to expand...
Davis Cup suffered from the same pathology as the rest of tennis. It's only judged by whether Federer or Nadal are playing

The only reason for this move isn't the players well being. It's to get in a truckload of sponsors for the week and make more money than DC does.
 
P

Pagoo

G.O.A.T.
Before some people start dragging Federer into this (as usual), it's Djokovic who's been linked to Pique and this idea. I doubt Federer is going to be a part of this. Of course I could be wrong.
 
J

JMR

Hall of Fame
George Turner said:
Federer now has to win the World cup of tennis finals to confirm his place as the GOAT.
Click to expand...

Just the opposite. Going forward, the new rule will be that anyone who failed to win the traditional Davis Cup cannot qualify as the GOAT. Needless to say, this rigorous nostalgia will be tough on up-and-coming players. :)
 
F

Fedforever

Hall of Fame
Pagoo said:
Before some people start dragging Federer into this (as usual), it's Djokovic who's been linked to Pique and this idea. I doubt Federer is going to be a part of this. Of course I could be wrong.
Click to expand...

I would have thought the chances of Fed participating in this are less than zero. Lose some of his off-season time? Damage his own pet project?
 
Red Rick

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
Red Rick said:
Davis Cup suffered from the same pathology as the rest of tennis. It's only judged by whether Federer or Nadal are playing

The only reason for this move isn't the players well being. It's to get in a truckload of sponsors for the week and make more money than DC does.
Click to expand...
Maybe we should make a list of all top players who have played DC in the last 3 years.

Murray
Djokovic
Nadal
Goffin
Cilic
Thiem
Del Potro
Sock
Pouille
Berdych
Schwartzman
Kyrgios
Isner
Querrey
Carreno Busta


I don't know if Nadal has played, but the obvious ommissions here are Federer and Wawrinka, who are above playing DC nowadays, and Dimitrov, who's the only Bulgarian in the top 300.



"So, none of the top guys play Davis Cup?"

No, quite the contrary, like 80% of top guys play Davis Cup.

This is all just more of "hurrr durrr fedr", it's destroys a perfectly good event, and that is a little piece of undiluded cancer in my opinion
 
P

Pagoo

G.O.A.T.
Fedforever said:
I would have thought the chances of Fed participating in this are less than zero. Lose some of his off-season time? Damage his own pet project?
Click to expand...

Yep, but that won't stop the haters blaming it on Federer.:rolleyes: Berdych at 32/33 recently announced his retirement from Davis cup. Somehow 36/37 year old Federer can't stop playing Davis cup. Federer has made it clear that he's unlikely to play DC again especially since Tokyo 2020 is not in his radar.

Whatever changes the ITF is making has got nothing to do with him. It's all about the money that Pique and his associates are offering. I heard Murray and Djokovic are in favor of the proposed change. Pique met with them and Nadal last year in Madrid.
 
Sudacafan

Sudacafan

Bionic Poster
Red Rick said:
Maybe we should make a list of all top players who have played DC in the last 3 years.

Murray
Djokovic
Nadal
Goffin
Cilic
Thiem
Del Potro
Sock
Pouille
Berdych
Schwartzman
Kyrgios
Isner
Querrey
Carreno Busta


I don't know if Nadal has played, but the obvious ommissions here are Federer and Wawrinka, who are above playing DC nowadays, and Dimitrov, who's the only Bulgarian in the top 300.



"So, none of the top guys play Davis Cup?"

No, quite the contrary, like 80% of top guys play Davis Cup.

This is all just more of "hurrr durrr fedr", it's destroys a perfectly good event, and that is a little piece of undiluded cancer in my opinion
Click to expand...
The general rule of big players participating in Davis Cup, is that they would play until they win once for their country.
Once they won it, they may not participate again.
Nadal, Federer, Del Potro and Djokovic stopped playing or stopped considering the DC a priority once they won it for their country.
Del Potro had a long and excruciating redemption process with his national fans until he delivered it.
 
Red Rick

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
Sudacafan said:
The general rule of big players participating in Davis Cup, is that they would play until they win once for their country.
Once they won it, they may not participate again.
Nadal, Federer, Del Potro and Djokovic stopped playing or stopped considering the DC a priority once they won it for their country.
Del Potro had a long and excruciating redemption process with his national fans until he delivered it.
Click to expand...
Nadal won it 4 times. Djokovic played it after he won it. Murray was balls deep in Davis Cup as recently as 2016, he only missed the tie between Wimbledon and the Olympics. The Suisse dudes are the only ones that have abandoned it totally after winning it once.
 
Red Rick

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
Bartelby said:
This is a move designed to suck up all the money that is currently earned in the various countries that host Davis Cup events into the arms of a grateful ITF.
Click to expand...
Pretty much this.

Does anyone have numbers on the total attendance of the DC annually? Cause the World Group is going from an event in at least 4 countries, up to 15 different locations, and 3 surfaces, 15 Bo5 ties to what? One location, way lower attendance, way lower everything.
 
B

BorgCash

Legend
Why FIFA don't want to change anything inside football, it's the most conservative sports federation. Even video replays they do not accept. Let Pique change smth in football and do not put his nose to subject he completely doesn't understand.
 
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