“It Should Go Back To Old Format” – Alexander Zverev Blasts Davis Cup

Alexander Zverev has stoked the fire On one of the most contentious issues in modern tennis- the revamped Davis Cup.

In an exclusive interview to Tennis Channel, Zverev blasted the Davis Cup for meddling with the tournament’s traditional heritage.

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What Did Alexander Zverev Say?

Alexander Zverev started off by expressing his excitement at being able to play the ATP Cup after a happy off season. He also explained how he always prefers starting the year off with a team event.

Zverev was very vocal about maintaining the traditional format about the Davis Cup. He fired his guns again in this interview when he praised the ATP Cup for not trying to become what it is not.

This was a dig at the Davis Cup and Gerard Pique for changing the nature of Davis Cup in order to make it commercially attractive.

“I hope the Davis Cup realizes that they should go back to the old format. I remember watching some highlights with Spain playing with good auduence but there were also matches being played at 3 or 4 in the morning with no people at all.”

Alexander Zverev then went on to talk about how the very legacy of the Davis Cup is what lent it the needed legitimacy to pull audiences.

“So, the Davis Cup is an event that’s been going on for 125 years. Those kinds of events, like the Olympics, you don’t play for money, you don’t play for pride, you play for your country and you play fir the Davis Cup. I hope people realize that as well,” added Zverev. 

Alexander Zverev also talked about his family and his dogs. He seemed grateful for the success he’s getting.

What Changed With The Davis Cup?

Davis Cup had a drastic change of format and leadership with Gerard Pique acquiring the reins. The Spaniard sought to make the event more interesting and commercially viable as he thought the event was “devalued”.

The biggest change was that the event was condensed to a great degree. Best of five was reduced to best of three. The Cup got completed in a week instead of four seperate weekends.

While that may sound ideal for a TV programmer, new problems emerged with regard to timezones. Pique’s feud with Roger Federer didn’t help things either. All in all, Zverev’s concerns are very valid.

Do you think Davis Cup made a mistake by revamping itself?