Enraged Wawrinka Hits Out At ITF's Handling Of Davis Cup
Stan Wawrinka has posted a cryptic message on social media, seemingly showing his frustration with Gerard Pique and the ITF's mis-management of the Davis Cup.
After Pique purchased the Davis Cup in 2018 under his company the Kosmos Group, the former football player made wholesale changes to the prestigious competition. One of the most controversial changes included changing the World Group format into round-robin groups of three teams each.
But, even though Pique claimed his management of the competition over the last four years was a success, he lost the rights to the tournament, and the ITF reclaimed control of the competition in 2023.
Leading up to the 2023 final Group Stages, which started on Tuesday, September 12, Wawrinka appeared to take a hit at Pique and the ITF via social media before his Swiss side faced France in Manchester.
"Thank you @3gerardpique @ITFTennis 🤬🤦🏻♂️! @DavisCup France vs Switzerland in Manchester lol"
Originally, the partnership between Kosmos Group and the ITF for the Davis Cup was meant to last 25 years. Although that estimate was cut way short of the target earlier this year, while the existing formats that Pique brought in still remain for this edition of the competition.
Over recent years, since Kosmos Group were in control of Davis Cup scheduling and organisation, several players have spoken out about issues with the competition, and Wawrinka has just become the latest in a long line of critics.
Another high-profile player to respond negatively to the Kosmos Group and the ITF was world number 10 Alexander Zverev. The German player hit out at the amount of money involved in the original deal, estimated to be at $3 billion, and argued that the financial aspect overshadowed the emotion of the competition.
The 2023 Davis Cup final group stages will concluded on September 17 and the final knckout rounds will be held in Malaga between 21-26 November.
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