While the Davis Cup format in place since 2019 is struggling to convince, a new format is being considered according to the Times.
The 2019 version of the Davis Cup is looking grim. Introduced five years ago with the creation of a final phase, the “Tennis World Cup” has undergone a change in 2022 with a final phase split into two: the group phase played in September in different locations in Europe, then the knockout phase bringing together the last eight teams in the running, played over a week at the end of the season (end of November) in a single location. A format that is struggling to convince the players but also and above all the public.
According to the Times, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is considering a partial overhaul of the competition, where 32 teams would compete in knockout rounds of 16 and 16 in home-and-away ties reminiscent of the old Davis Cup format.
Episode 200: Olympics, Grand Slam, Davis Cup: are we experiencing the most painful period in French tennis?
A final 8 in China from 2026?
The eight teams that qualified for the quarter-finals would meet at a fixed location to play for the Silver Bowl. According to the Times, China, particularly Zhuhai, would be a credible candidate for the 2026 edition. This new formula would therefore be a mix between the old format and the current one.
Since the last “historic” edition of the Davis Cup, organized at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in 2018 (France’s defeat against Croatia), the final phase has systematically taken place in Spain (2019 and 2021 in Madrid, since 2022 in Malaga). A format that does not please the French.
