Grand Slam Board says safeguarding Davis Cup is a priority

MELBOURNE, Jan 27 — All 4 tennis Grand Slams will make it a priority to safeguard the Davis Cup men’s crew match, the governing body of the sport’s most prestigious situations explained currently, two weeks following the ITF’s partnership with financial investment group Kosmos ended.

The Intercontinental Tennis Federation claimed on January 12 that its partnership with former Barcelona football player Gerard Pique’s Kosmos was ending 5 several years into a 25-12 months, US$3 billion (RM12 billion) agreement.

That deal was unveiled in 2018 amid a great deal fanfare more than promises to produce “long-phrase benefits” for supporters and all stakeholders of the video game.

The ITF, the sport’s governing physique, additional that it had financial contingencies in put and would run the 2023 Davis Cup qualifiers and finals as scheduled, with the Final 8 using spot in Malaga, Spain, in November.

“Protecting the heritage of the activity and safeguarding big groups competitions such as the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup is a priority for the international tennis group and will correctly get the Grand Slams’ complete notice,” the Grand Slam board said in a assertion.

They board additional that the Grand Slam tournaments ended up united in their help for the Davis Cup “recognising its historic importance and crucial position in escalating engagement in our sport around the entire world.”

“We believe there is an prospect to engage in more conversations with the ITF and ATP pertaining to the long term of the Davis Cup opposition with the ambition of viewing it restored to a premier celebration with an optimum format and location in the calendar that rewards players, enthusiasts and the sport total.”

The settlement with Kosmos had led to the revamp of the men’s group competitors, which was established in 1900.

The common dwelling-and-absent ties performed over a number of weekends through the program of the calendar year have been scrapped.

That format was changed in 2019 with just one particular house-and-away spherical of ties that was followed by 18-groups competing in just one metropolis for a week-extensive climax to the season.

Right after the 2020 version was postponed simply because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 finale was held across 11 times in 3 metropolitan areas — Madrid, Turin and Innsbruck.

The structure was tweaked all over again past yr, when teams competed in a team stage in September, with the best 8 reaching the finals. — Reuters