Two world team events will dilute both, says Djokovic
LONDON: Novak Djokovic fears staging a revamped Davis Cup finals and a revived ATP World Team Cup weeks apart could hurt the sport and result in creating two ‘average’ events.
Tennis’s world governing body, the ITF, was given the green light in August to launch a new Davis Cup format next year, culminating in an 18-nation finals week to be held at the end of November in Madrid.
Several leading players, including Djokovic, who beat Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-1 at the ATP Finals on Wednesday, have questioned the timing of the ITF’S flagship event, coming at the end of a gruelling 11-month season and Germany’s Zverev said this week he would not play in the showpiece finals. The ATP, the governing body of the men’s game, are behind plans for a rival World Team Cup.
ATP’S competition the World Team Cup which is set to start in January 2020 in Australia before the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, will feature 24 teams, offer $15 million in prize money and ranking points.
With the ITF and ATP on collision course and both seemingly determined to push ahead with their rival events, Djokovic believes it could end up being damaging for the sport. “Obviously the Davis Cup and World Team Cup situation is delicate,” Djokovic said. “We find ourselves in this kind of circumstances that we have to deal with.
“I think in the next two years we’ll have both events happening in a very similar format if not the same, six weeks apart. I don’t think it’s good for the sport.”
The 118-year-old Davis Cup has been diluted by leading players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal picking and choosing when they commit to the event. Its new format — launched with the backing of investment group Kosmos led by Spanish international footballer Gerard Pique, is designed to raise its profile with Madrid being chosen as the first host city for the 18 competing nations.
Djokovic, who helped Serbia win the title in 2010, is not convinced the two new events can survive.
“I think it’s not sustainable. It will happen that we will have two average events. So I think creating one event is an ideal scenario and I think outcome for everyone,” he said.