Madrid (AFP)

Threatened by the high-flying Laver Cup and the ATP Cup full of riches, the venerable Davis Cup had the weight of tradition and feats. Everything is questioned from this year in Madrid (18-24 November) by a new format "show" to which the most optimistic players want to "let his luck".

"I think that the Davis Cup will be (in 2019) a bigger event than it has been in the last ten years (...) In five years, I want everyone, players and fans, to say to themselves. Davis Cup is in November and I want to be + ", launches the new promoter of the competition, the Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, in the magazine of the International Federation (ITF).

Paradoxically, and like two other competitions more than a century old, the Ryder Cup and the America's Cup in sailing, it is the unfairness of the tournament that wrote the legend. What's more beautiful than winning at the opponent's on the surface he has chosen? Or on the contrary rely on boiling fans to win collectively face individually superior opponents?

But the competition, spread over four three-day weekends in the year, was getting worse and worse in an overloaded schedule. "The change was inevitable for the format," commented Novak Djokovic.

"We have not managed to have the best players in the world in recent years, so we had to find solutions, let's see how it goes," says Rafael Nadal.

- 3 billions -

Then the ITF sold for $ 3 billion over 25 years the organization of the Davis Cup to the Spanish investment company Kosmos chaired by Piqué. And the format change was approved in August 2018 for implementation in 2019.

The epic confrontations "to life to death" give way to a world championship grouping over a week in a single city (which is to turn) 18 teams, all packed into a show with opening ceremonies and closing, concerts, especially for this year Shakira the companion of Pique.

"I want the Davis Cup to be a celebration around tennis, not just tennis," said Piqué.

For some, this change is unworthy of the sporting legacy of a 119-year-old competition.

"It remains something that has been decided for financial, marketing ... it's a bit sad," said Belgian Steve Darcis for AFP.

The most radical player in his disapproval is Alexander Zverev: "In November, I do not want to play tennis anymore," he slices. Except that it will be the same week ... in South America for an exhibition tour with Roger Federer.

- Without Federer -

The same Federer, winner of the 2014 Davis Cup but who has not played it since, will not be in Madrid because Switzerland did not qualify. But he made it clear that he did not "plan" to play it in 2020 either.

For the rest, Kosmos has won part of its bet by ensuring the coming of the world's best: Nadal, Djokovic, Medvedev, Tsitsipas are planned.

In view of the plateau, the first edition of this new look Davis Cup takes its place against the Laver Cup, an exhibition born in 2018 under the auspices of Federer, and the ATP Cup, which will see the light of day. January in Australia and which has the great advantages of opening the season, to bring into play a lot of points ATP (up to 750) and a large sum of money (15 million dollars).

Federer assured AFP that there was "room" a priori for these three team competitions, but that it was too early to "give a real opinion".

That of Nadal is made on one point: "two tournaments by teams, the Davis Cup and the ATP Cup in one month, in my opinion it is not good", affirmed the N.1 world.

Remains the question of the atmosphere: how will the public react, inevitably in the vast majority of Spanish this year, during posters involving neither Spain Nadal nor Serbia Djokovic?

On the broadcasting side, the organizers boast of having sold the rights to 41 channels that will broadcast in 171 countries. But if the Caja Magica Madrid sounds hollow, is not the death knell of the Davis Cup will resonate?

burs-ig / pga / cto

© 2019 AFP