ITF Davis Cup contract with Kosmos ends after only five years
THE International Tennis Federation is ending its partnership with the Kosmos group to organise the Davis Cup, five years after a deal worth $3bn was signed.
“The ITF can confirm that its partnership with Kosmos Tennis for Davis Cup is ending in its fifth year,” a spokeswoman said.
A 25-year deal was signed with Kosmos, which is owned by Spanish football star Gerard Pique, in 2018 but the revamped tournament has attracted widespread criticism over its format. “The ITF has ensured financial contingencies are in place and, as the custodian of the competition, we will operate the 2023 qualifiers and finals as scheduled, with the final 8 taking place in Malaga, Spain, this November,” the spokeswoman said.
“The ITF negotiated a strong deal for tennis in 2018. The partnership increased participation, prizemoney and interest in Davis Cup and produced funding to support the global development of our sport.”
The 2019 Davis Cup finals were the first in a single-city format, ending a long tradition of home and away ties.
The new format was widely criticised, including for low attendances and late finishes, and was rejigged in 2021 to include three cities.
Several top players have skipped the Davis Cup in recent years. Rafael Nadal helped Spain win on home soil in the first new-look Davis Cup Finals in 2019, but has not featured in the tournament since.
Australia’s Davis Cup captain, Lleyton Hewitt, a former world No.1 who played in his country’s 1999 and 2003 triumphs, has been one of the biggest critics of the modern format.
“I haven’t been a supporter since they first flagged the possible changes,” Hewitt said when the rebooted Davis Cup was launched in 2019.