Once again the organisers of the Davis Cup are facing tough questions following the absence of some of the biggest names in tennis.
The weekend Great Britain, Serbia, Spain and the Czech Republic will play their ties without their No.1 players. It is a scenario that is becoming a regular occurrence in the tournament with players trying to balance their Davis Cup commitments with the ATP Tour.
Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will end his run of appearing in eight consecutive ties for his country. Last year the world No.2 won guided his country to the title after winning 11 matches (eight singles and three doubles). Murray will still travel with his team to Serbia, however, he will not play due to his busy summer schedule. The decision made by the three-time grand slam champion is one that has been backed by British captain Leon Smith.
“Quite rightly he has to look after his body and his mind. He’s got his eyes set on getting some rest and really making a big push for the Olympics, US Open and beyond.” Smith told the BBC.
Following Murray’s absence, Britain will be relying on Kyle Edmund and James Ward to continue their title defence. World No.73 Dan Evans will also miss the tie due to a shoulder injury and ‘personal issues’.
Britain’s opponents Serbia is also short of their best players. World No.1 Novak Djokovic confirmed that he wouldn’t be playing in the tie following his shock Wimbledon loss to Sam Querrey. Meanwhile, world No.32 Viktor Troicki is skipping the tie in order to prepare for the upcoming hard-court season.
It isn’t just the Britain-Serbia tie that has been plagued by big-name absences. Tomas Berdych has decided not to play Czech Republic’s tie against France due to other scheduling commitments.
Rafael Nadal has opted not to play in his country’s clash against Romania, risking his Olympic place. The nine-time French Open champion was required to play in the tie in order to be eligible to play in the Olympics according to ITF regulations. Instead, the injury-plagued Nadal is appealing to the ITF to be allowed to play in the event.
What’s the solution?
The world of tennis has changed dramatically since the first Davis Cup match took place in 1900. Players now travel the world playing in numerous tournaments on multiple surfaces. It is clear that the competition needs to change in order to keep attracting the big names. One potential idea is to host a ‘super four’ format with the semifinals and finals occurring within the same week. The idea has won the backing of world No.1 Djokovic, who recently called for the tournament to follow the example set by football.
“I think that the best way is to create some kind of structure that is similar to, let’s say, European or World Championships in football: create one event in one year or two years that would be held over two weeks’ time. Make four groups, winners of all groups go to playoffs.” The Serbian said about potential changes to the structure.
Regardless of what the solution might be, it is clear that change must happen in order to keep the tournament relevant. Numerous Davis Cup team captains have spoken out about the current structure of the competition. One of the most recent was British captain Smith.
‘This date is a real nightmare for everybody, not just him,’ Smith said when talking about the absence of Murray.
‘It’s a real shame the best players aren’t playing again.’
In its 106th year, the Davis Cup has now reached crisis point. The format has been debated on numerous occasions in recent years, but nothing has changed. Now is the time to put those words into action before the historic and highly respectable event become a thing of the past.
