Gerard Pique ‘SCREWED’ the Davis Cup turning it into a four-year disaster claims Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt

During a press conference, the Australian captain used the chance to vent his displeasure with the Davis Cup's recent course.

Gerard Pique ‘SCREWED’ the Davis Cup turning it into a four-year disaster claims Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt

Lleyton Hewitt and Gerard Pique (Credit: Wikipedia)

Lleyton Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion, did not mince words when he openly attacked Gerard Pique‘s participation in the Davis Cup, calling it a “four-year disaster.” Hewitt’s remarks came after his Australian side advanced to the Davis Cup quarterfinals. But all of this was overshadowed by his caustic assessment of the tournament.

Hewitt’s team defeated Switzerland 3-0, finishing second in Group B behind Great Britain. They advanced to the knockout stages of the coveted international team competition. During a press conference, though, the Australian captain used the chance to vent his displeasure with the Davis Cup‘s recent course.

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Hewitt didn’t hold back in his assessment, stating, “I’ve said for years the two greatest things that Davis Cup had was the best-of-five sets, because it was the pinnacle of our sport, and the home-and-away format. Playing in front of 500 or 1000 people, it’s not the same. But as I’ve told my team all the time, the pride comes in wearing the green and gold, so for us no matter what the format is, we’re still gonna go out there and leave it all on the line.“

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Hewitt also expressed fear that the Davis Cup would continue to struggle until required reforms were made. He recalled the unusual atmosphere of playing home-and-away games in front of crowded stadiums, emphasizing how important these experiences were in team bonding and testing their resilience.

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How is Gerard Pique involved?

The essence of Hewitt’s complaint revolves around the significant reworking of the Davis Cup format in 2019. This reorganization, facilitated by a reported £2.4 billion 25-year pact between the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and Gerard Pique’s Kosmos Group. It saw the conventional home-and-away ties format abandoned in favor of hosting all group matches at four separate locales.

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Pique (Credit: Planet Football)

This change was received with strong resistance from players and spectators alike, who cherished the ancient best-of-five set format and the fervent home-and-away pattern that had long been a feature of the competition. To make matters worse, the ITF and Kosmos discontinued their agreement earlier this year, 20 years ahead of schedule, leaving the competition’s future uncertain.

The knockout phases will be place next month in Malaga, Spain, although the group stage matches were hosted in four different European cities: Bologna, Manchester, Split, and Valencia. However, there were many empty seats on all sites, which Hewitt believes is a direct result of the competition’s structure.

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