When asked about the controversial Davis Cup format in Valencia, Novak Djokovic didn't want to throw Gerard Pique under the bus.
Former football player Gerard Pique is one of the key figures at Kosmos, a company that basically took over the Davis Cup in recent years. The Spaniard was heavily criticised for the way he handled all of that because, apparently, he had a lot to say about how the competition should look like.
He's been called out by name by players and fans, but Novak Djokovic didn't want to go as far. He talked about the Davis Cup and its future during his press conference ahead of his matches in the competition. For him, the fault is likely with the ITF, as they have the final say, especially after the deal with Kosmos broke down.
I don't think it's Piqué's fault, so I'm not going to criticize him. I think that the ITF is the one who makes that last decision, the one it made five years ago to modify the format. He joined the Kosmos Group because they saw an opportunity to grow, but I don't see anyone reproaching the ITF for anything.
The criticism about the competition is not going away as players generally are not afraid to speak their minds on the topic. You'd probably struggle to find any players that prefer this format to the old one, and Djokovic certainly isn't one of them.
. The format generates various opinions, some in favor and others against, but five years ago everyone was betting on a change of format, everyone agreed that the old format needed a change. Now it's time to find that balance with a format that works.
The first year, in 2019, everyone played in Madrid, leaving 99% of the countries without the possibility of playing at home. Serbia, for example, it's been 4-5 years since it's played a tie at home, it's too long for us, a long time without letting the Serbs see their players, especially the little ones.
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