All change How the new format will work

Twenty-four teams (12 from qualifiers and 12 placed between fifth and 16th the previous year) to play home and away ties in February – winners go through to finals in November. They join the semi-finalists from previous year, plus two wild cards. Finals played on a roundrobin format before a knockout. Matches of two singles and one doubles.

both unanimous in their support, whereas Australia – which is planning to host a different new team event from the start of 2020 – has been opposed all along.

But several of the European nations – France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Austria – all came in behind the Kosmos reforms.

The immediate response to the decision on social media was less than welcoming. Greg Rusedski said he was “very disappointed” and Pat Cash bemoaned a “sad day” for the sport.

But for the ITF and its president David Haggerty, this was a moment of triumph. It has been promised a $3 billion (£2.4 billion) investment over 25 years by Kosmos, although The Daily Telegraph understands that the financial guarantees only cover the first two years at present.

During a recent interview with The New York Times, Haggerty explained that Kosmos also intends to colonise the remaining two Davis Cup weeks, inaugurating a mixedteam event in April and a winnertakes-all knockout in September.

In the short term, one of the unexpected corollaries is that the result of Great Britain’s forthcoming relegation match against Uzbekistan next month is now academic. Leon Smith’s team will participate in next year’s tournament anyway, and the only question to be decided is whether they will be seeded.