Staging Davis Cup ties in impartial venues is like an eighth lethal sin to some – however a return to conventional dwelling and away ties would “not work”, based on the person in cost.
The path to November’s Finals begins with a qualifying spherical in February, which is performed on the house and away foundation that sustained the competitors till 2018.
However the final 16 is now staged in simply 4 cities in September and the ultimate eight are disputing the trophy in Malaga this week – and hosts Spain haven’t certified.
“The house and away format is just not going to work and the gamers informed us that previously,” Worldwide Tennis Federation (ITF) president David Haggerty stated in an interview with BBC Sport.
“It will not be an excellent competitors if we went again to solely dwelling and away. Generally the loudest voices aren’t at all times the bulk.”
Fears of a repeat of the sparse crowds seen at a few of the group ties in September – most notably Switzerland towards France on the opening day in Manchester – didn’t materialise for Finland’s quarter-final towards champions Canada on Tuesday.
About three quarters of the 9,207 seats had been taken, largely due to a spectacular effort from Finnish followers enthusiastic about watching their nation’s first ever quarter-final.
Not less than 1,000 followers flew in from dwelling and that quantity was maybe greater than doubled by the quite a few buses laid on by expat fan golf equipment throughout southern Spain.
The LTA says Nice Britain’s quarter-final towards Serbia on Thursday is bought out and it is aware of of no less than 2,500 travelling followers. The Czech Republic are additionally anticipated to convey a vocal contingent.
However for a lot of, it would by no means be fairly the identical. World quantity 12 Alex de Minaur made his debut for Australia in a five-set thriller towards Germany’s Alexander Zverev on the Pat Rafter Area in Brisbane in February 2018.
“In a heartbeat I’d need the competitors to return to what it was,” he stated.
“I used to be fortunate sufficient to get a style of what dwelling and away ties meant. I used to be capable of make my debut at dwelling in entrance of a packed Brisbane crowd – to today it nonetheless provides me goosebumps.
“After which I used to be capable of play in Austria [against 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem]. Everybody was towards me however that was a few of the coolest experiences and what made this competitors so particular.”
Stan Wawrinka posted a video of a just about empty stadium simply earlier than Switzerland’s tie with France in Manchester in September. He additionally posed a question on X: “Do you know that ITF Tennis are paying individuals to assist and make some noise for each nation at each match?”
Haggerty confirmed that some college students had been paid to offer musical assist to 2 of the groups.
“Among the bands in Manchester… groups requested us if we may assist get native college individuals which we put in touch with them – and it helped them with the environment they had been in search of,” he stated.
The 2024 Finals can be performed to the present format. However now the Davis Cup is an official a part of the ATP Tour calendar, and the ITF and ATP have fashioned a “strategic alliance” to think about the evolution of the competitors, a evaluate is at the moment going down to see whether or not any modifications must be launched from 2025.
One proposal which has attracted some assist over the previous couple of years is the thought of staging the competitors over two years, with a higher emphasis on dwelling and away ties.
Area within the calendar is at a premium, as by 2025 seven of the 9 ATP Masters occasions can be 12 days in period. The outdated Davis Cup format was performed over 4 weeks as an alternative of the present three.
“I feel the nations are getting used to it. Followers are getting used to the World Cup idea of Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup,” Haggerty continued.
“The Ultimate Eight appears to be embraced and is sensible as a result of it is a terrific finale.”
Haggerty was on the 2014 last within the French metropolis of Lille, the place Roger Federer lastly received the Davis Cup with Switzerland in entrance of a document crowd of greater than 27,000. He accepts it was a very particular environment however argues it – and different finals – didn’t have the affect it ought to have carried out outdoors the 2 international locations concerned.
“Folks in France and Switzerland knew that Davis Cup was going down. In all places else around the globe, they did not know as a result of it did not have that very same euphoric finish to the season that we will have right here in Malaga,” he added.
“The bulk like what we’ve carried out, and voted in favour of it. It was an lodging to guarantee that we’d get prime gamers with the ability to flip up and have a schedule that was affordable.”
Malaga is predicted to be confirmed as subsequent 12 months’s host metropolis. The ITF doesn’t rule out shifting the competitors away from Europe sooner or later, however the power of the European nations – and the necessity for followers to journey to the Finals – makes a foray into a rustic like Australia unlikely.
And so in case you are Alex de Minaur, and the format doesn’t change, you might be more likely to play only a few ties at dwelling.
