Novak Djokovic personally believes the best Davis Cup format would be “something in between the old and the new format.” In 2019, the new Davis Cup format was introduced. When the ITF initially announced their plans to change the format, their argument was that the competition was losing in popularity and that something needed to change. But their plan wasn’t welcomed by some, who harshly criticized the new change. Five years have passed since the ITF announced a change to the Davis Cup format and some are still strongly criticizing the new format. Specifically, the biggest unhappiness with the new format comes from the fact that home-and-away ties have been eliminated, except in the qualifiers. Djokovic, who arrived in Malaga this week for the Davis Cup Finals 8, gave his opinion.
Djokovic’s verdict on the Davis Cup format issue
“I know there has been a lot of debate about this topic. I know there was a lot of criticism when Kosmos changed the format. On a personal level, I think the best format would be something in between the old and the new, because I don’t think this is the best for all the nations participating in the World Group. The fact that we have not played in Serbia for many years is not good, we do not give the people of Serbia the opportunity to see us play, especially the younger ones. Furthermore, I think that a home tie helps the Federation. Personally, I do not have a perfect format in my mind, but I do believe that it is important to have these debates with the players and with the Davis Cup teams, that they not be held behind closed doors. I think we should all have something to say, because so far no one from the ITF has contacted us. I think it is something that should be changed, because we are an integral part of the competition and we can provide very interesting information. Surely we all have different opinions, but I think that home and away ties are something that has made the Davis Cup famous. Now, giving a country the chance to host the Finals for five years in a row… is a bit much, in my opinion. The tournament has to travel. It is a competition that is played at a global level. I feel like if we’re going to have a Final Four or a Final Eight, he should travel every year, not stay in one place for more than a year,” Djokovic said, via Punto de Break. Meanwhile, Djokovic is hoping to lead Serbia to their second Davis Cup title this week.