Feliciano Lopez was appointed as the 2023 Davis Cup tournament director, but fans weren't happy about it after the Madrid Open fiasco.
The appointment of Lopez as the new Davis Cup Tournament Director has sparked outrage among tennis fans, who are questioning his ability to handle such a prestigious role in light of recent events.
One of the major incidents that tarnished the Madrid Open's reputation involved a stark difference in the size of the birthday cakes given to players Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka. Both players, who share the same birthday and were competing in the Spanish capital, were presented with birthday cakes during the tournament.
However, Alcaraz's cake was noticeably larger than Sabalenka's, sparking a debate about gender disparity in tennis and eliciting comments from other WTA players such as Victoria Azarenka and Bianca Andreescu.
The situation was defended by Lopez, who stated that Alcaraz's celebration was bigger due to his playing on the centre court and the fact that the tournament was held in Spain, Alcaraz's home country.
But the Madrid Open faced further criticism when WTA players weren't given a chance to address the crowd after the doubles final. The trophy ceremony, which typically allows the winning and losing teams to speak to the audience, was conducted without these speeches.
The incident was brought to light when one of the finalists, Coco Gauff, expressed her surprise on Twitter. Jessica Pegula, Ons Jabeur, and Victoria Azarenka also voiced their disappointment over the situation. These events led to widespread criticism, with many calling the organizers' actions "shocking", "upsetting", and "misogynistic".
In light of these controversies, the announcement of Feliciano Lopez as the new Davis Cup Director has been met with significant backlash. However, the 41-year-old Spaniard was honoured that he was assigned the role.
"It is a great honour to become Davis Cup Finals Tournament Director and I thank the ITF for appointing me. I have some special memories of playing in this competition so I am very happy to be taking a leading role in delivering these events. As an athlete, representing your country is the pinnacle of your career."
"It always meant so much to me, and you can see how much it means to every player who has competed in this competition over the years. As Tournament Director, my sole focus will be to build on the recent success of the competition and make it the best it can be for players and supporters across the world. I can’t wait to get started."
The ITF President David Haggerty was happy to announce the Spaniard as new tournament director, despite previous controversies. According to Haggerty, 'Lopez embodies everything the competition is about'.
"We are thrilled to welcome Feliciano on board and I have no doubt he will be a huge asset to the competition. He is a Davis Cup legend and embodies everything the competition is about – passion, entertainment and pride in representing your country."
"His playing record speaks for itself and he is adored across Spain for good reason, but he has also shown his talent as a Tournament Director in recent years and that is why we have brought him in at this stage of the competition. The ITF and Feliciano are fully aligned in our aims to continue the recent growth of this wonderful event, and his appointment builds even more excitement for the Finals Group Stage in September, and the Final 8 in November."
Yet, many fans argue that his handling of the Madrid Open incidents suggests he might not be the best fit for the new role. The internet, and especially Twitter, was soon flooded by remarks from fans that were not happy to see Lopez in the position, especially after the Madrid Open fiasco.
Despite the negative response, it remains to be seen how Lopez will manage his new position and whether he can restore faith in his ability to oversee major tennis events.
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