The man in charge of overseeing this year’s Davis Cup Finals has warned that players have no option but to get used to the current format.
Former world No.7 Fernando Verdasco is the tournament director of the 2021 Davis Cup Finals which is being held across three European cities. The Spaniard has taken over from Albert Costa who has withdrawn from his position this year due to personal reasons. This is only the second season where the new format of the competition has taken place with its season-ending finals featuring 18 teams playing in a week-long tournament. Last year’s Davis Cup was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overseeing the running of the competition is investment company Kosmos who has pledged to invest $3bn over a 25-year period. However, they have been accused by some of destroying the event. Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt has said organisers are ‘selling the soul’ of the Davis Cup.
Responding to the criticism during an interview with Eurosport, Verdasco claimed that all players wanted the revamp due the Tour calendar. Saying that many found it hard to travel to various countries during different parts of the year under the old format.
“When I played the Davis Cup, all the players complained, asking for this new format, we wanted a Davis Cup of ten days at the end of the season and not have to play four qualifiers spread throughout the year,” he said. “Sometimes you went from playing the Australian Open, to playing indoors to Belarus and then to South America on clay. In three weeks you were playing on three different surfaces, the worst for a player.’
“The factor of playing at home or playing outside was very good, in a stadium of 8,000 people you had the public with you or you had it against you, that made it special. But if we talk about the calendar, we all asked for this format.”
Nevertheless, there continues to be criticism from some which Verdasco puts down to ‘being human.’ He insisted that both the International Tennis Federation and Kosmos are ‘working hard’ to keep the tradition of home and away ties alongside the season-ending finale.
“Many people are used to the old tradition and that is why they do not approve of this new format. (Alexander) Zverev, for example, is one of those who has said that he dreamed of winning the Davis Cup for a lifetime … but things evolve, just as there was no Hawkeye before and now there is. We will all have to get used to it, there is no other choice.” Verdasco stated.
Next year it has been reported that the Finals will be heading to Abu Dhabi as part of a new five-year deal. Although there is confusion about how this will take place with conflicting reports. The Telegraph had originally reported that the plan was for a series of European cities to host the group stages of the finals with the eight qualified teams flying to the UAE. But now it appears those plans are in doubt due to the logistical challenges it poses.
The prospect of moving the Davis Cup to Abu Dhabi is a controversial one for some. The region does not have a rich Davis Cup history and no team there is currently ranked inside the top 70. Some are concerned that the usual army of fans cheering on their teams will be unable or unwilling to travel to the region. Then there is the question about how the city will be able to maintain a strong attendance with the FIFA World Cup taking place at the same time in nearby Qatar.
“I honestly do not think that everything should be held in places with tradition, all countries have the right to have competitions such as the Davis Cup, a World Cup or a Big prize,” said Verdasco. “I know that there have been many comments that it will be in Abu Dhabi, although it is not official yet, what is a reality is that it will go from being a competition of 16 teams and not 18. And instead of groups of three, they will be groups of four. Now it remains to be seen how many host venues there will be, apart from where the Final Phase is played. I like these changes.”
It is expected that more information about the 2022 Davis Cup Finals will be released on Sunday during an online press conference with the media. The event was set to take place in person at a hotel in Madrid but got cancelled on Thursday for unknown reasons.
