Stan Wawrinka EXPOSES ITF’s ‘paid’ attempts to fill stadiums in Davis Cup amid low fans turnout

Stan Wawrinka slams the new format of the Davis Cup.

Stan Wawrinka EXPOSES ITF’s ‘paid’ attempts to fill stadiums in Davis Cup amid low fans turnout

Stan Wawrinka(Image via CNN)

Former World No.3 Stan Wawrinka has exposed the International Tennis Federation (ITF) of its attempt to pay spectators to cheer for every country. The new format of the Davis Cup which was introduced in 2019 has been subject to constant speculation by audiences and players alike.

Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka has accused the ITF of paying the spectators to make noise for every country that is playing. Wawrinka resorted to Twitter (now called X) to point out this fact and said, “Did you know that ITF are paying people to support and make some noise for every country at every match.” The Davis Cup was held to the highest standards before the format was changed.

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Following this group stages format, the support for the countries competing has gone down tremendously. The Davis cup was one of the most attended tennis events. Therefore with the withdrawal of the home-and-away format, the atmosphere seemed to dim at the event. However, according to the Swiss veteran, the ITF have started to pay groups of people to attend the event and cheer for respective countries to make up for this loss of viewership.

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Stan Wawrinka is not the first player to criticize this newer version of the historic event. His claims have been supported by numerous other players, past and current. The Swiss player is capable of speaking for the rest of the players. With a stellar career composing of three Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold alongside Roger Federer, Wawrinka is considered to have one of the more remarkable careers in tennis.

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The newer format of the Davis Cup slammed by tennis players

The new group stages version of the Davis Cup has been slammed by numerous tennis players. Current players like Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray and many other players have contradicted this decision of the ATP to meddle with the famed event.

Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray
Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray (Image via Newly Swissed and The Independent)

The tournament is a historic event which dates back as far as 1900. However, in order to catch up with current trends, the format was revamped completely. Up until 2019, the tournament was held in a home-and-away format. However, it was completely changed into a group stage format, where both countries played in neutral locations.

However, this new format led to a number of issues. Giant arenas capable of seating 20,000 spectators were left empty because of the ATP’s decision to not conduct home-and-away matches. This not only left stadiums empty, but also dulled the atmosphere for the players. Numerous players have been very vocal about their disagreement with the current format of the distinguished tournament.

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