Alexander Zverev withdraws from the “Pique Cup” in November


Alexander Zverev withdraws from the “Pique Cup” in November

Alexander Zverev

One of the most renowned tennis tournaments, the Davis Cup was transformed drastically in 2018. The structure of the tournament was changed for the first time in 121 years. The International Tennis Federation announced its 25-year, $3 billion-dollar partnership with investment group, Kosmos founded by FC Barcelona’s football player, Gerard Pique. The old format was structured around a 16-nation World Group contested over four weekends during the year.

ADVERTISEMENT

However, the home-and-away format was replaced with a ‘Finals’ week where 18 teams play at a common venue. The scoring was changed from best-of-five sets to best-of-three, and the number of matches in each tie was reduced from five to three. The tournament started following the new structure in 2019.

Olympic Champion at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Alexander Zverev has never been a fan of the changes made to this historic tennis tournament.

“As soon as there is the old format again, I’ll be there”: Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev

Zverev has not played at the tournament since the changes have come into place. He skipped the inaugural reformed Davis Cup in 2019, in 2020 the tournament was cancelled due to coronavirus and once again in 2021, Zverev has announced he will not be taking part.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I don’t think the format is Davis Cup anymore. I hope people realise that Davis Cup is more than just money and all that like they are offering us now. It’s history, and it’s tennis history. Yeah, it’s more than just what’s on the table for the players now. In November I do not want to play tennis anymore, I think all the top guys will say the same thing. We have one and a half months off in our season, and that’s end of November and December. Making a tournament end of November which is 10 days playing and competing, it’s crazy. By the end of the year we are all tired. For us as top players, we had discussions, we had talks with the ATP how to make the season shorter, and not longer. No, it’s not happening (playing in November 2019) and I guarantee you I will not be the only one” said Zverev.

“My opinion on the Davis Cup reforms has not changed. I played the ATP Cup, it’s the same for me, The Davis Cup should be under the old system again. Before you had more emotions, involvement, passion. This new formula is ultimately just one more tournament, and in fact nothing more than the ATP Cup. The Davis Cup could be played every three or four years with several cities hosting the competition, for example. Like the football World Cup,” said the world number 5 earlier this year in a pre-tournament press conference at the ATP 250 tournament in Munich.

“You can’t just ruin a 120 or 130-year tennis history with money. Especially not when a soccer player comes in and says: ‘this is how it is played now’ and suddenly everyone does it. You have just seen where that will lead in football with the Super League. It just makes me sad. It’s not that I don’t want to play with the boys (the German Davis Cup team). I’ll think about it again. I really like to represent Germany. In terms of sport, the Olympic Games are the biggest one you can take part in. It doesn’t matter where you get the medal. A gold medal is a gold medal” he added.

Firmly opposed to the reform of the Davis Cup Alexander Zverev has not changed his mind. Despite his gold medal from the Olympic Games in Tokyo and his attachment to his country, Germany, Zverev will not participate in the final tournament in November.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I’m just a human being and I need a vacation. We play from January to October. I won’t play Davis Cup in November this way. As soon as there is the old format again, with the home advantage and one game over the weekend, I’ll be there” the Olympic Champion told Sport Bild on Wednesday.

Also read: Tennis at Tokyo Olympics 2020: Alexander Zverev ends Germany’s wait of 29 years for Olympics Gold, defeats Karen Khachanov to win Men’s Singles