Canadian No.1 Denis Shapovalov is the latest high-profile name to lend his backing behind an argument to merge the Davis Cup and ATP Cup into one big event.
The 20-year-old will lead the Canadian team at the inaugural ATP Cup, which will get underway across three cities in Australia. The tournament has both ranking points and prize money up for grabs. It is taking place less than two months after the revamped 18-team Davis Cup finals, which was won by Spain. Meaning that from 2020 the tennis seasons will both end and start with team events. Something Shapovalov describes as ‘weird ‘.
“It would be great just to have one event that is a world championship,” Reuters News Agency quoted Shapovalov as saying on Wednesday. “A month ago we played the world championship and now it feels like we are playing another one.
“It would be great if they could organise and make one big event, make it a unique and special tournament. Hopefully they can come to terms together and make something happen.”
Questions have now started about if the two events can co-exist in the future. Although finding a compromise is far from straightforward. The Davis Cup recently had a multi-million pound investment from Kosmos and is overseen by the International Tennis Federation. Meanwhile, the governing body of men’s tennis, the ATP, runs the ATP Cup. They are unlikely to scrap their newly launched event anytime soon.
It is not the first time a top name in men’s tennis has called for a combination of the tournaments. World No.2 Novak Djokovic expressed a similar viewpoint last year. The president of the ATP Player Council has previously said the schedule is ‘too congested.‘ He believes the best time for a potential joint-event would be after the US Open. However, that is when the Laver Cup takes place over. A three-day event co-founded by Roger Federer that has been officially placed on the ATP Calendar.
“Looking long-term, I don’t think that the two events can coexist six weeks apart. It’s just a bit too congested.” Djokovic said last November.
“I’ve been part of discussions through the player council, through various different ways in the last three years, about the evolution of the ATP Cup and the changes in Davis Cup. And, of course, the ITF and ATP are two different organisations. So it’s very complex. It’s not easy to make any change in our sport. But, when the change is made, at least you make that first step. Of course you can always point out the negatives but there are positives as well.”
Rafael Nadal, who guided Spain to their Davis Cup title last year, is another supporter of a potential change in the future. He is also a member of the Player council.
“My personal opinion is, there is no other way than have only one big, big competition. ATP, ITF, Kosmos, Davis Cup, World Cup. Doesn’t matter the name.’ Said Nadal.
“I think Davis Cup is the right name because it’s part of the history of our sport. And it will be great if we are able to put everything together.” He added.
The ATP Cup features 24 nations and will start on Friday. Shapovalov-lead Canada has been drawn in Group F along with Germany, Greece and Australia.
