Not many tennis players are fans of this current Davis Cup format, and Novak Djokovic agrees that a review would be good.
The Davis Cup used to be a very popular competition among fans and players, though it's declined in popularity recently. Many blamed it on the format change, and there is some truth to that because the competition lost its spark.
Most of the event is now played in several groups where one team is the host nation while the other nations basically see no attendance in their matches. We don't have those iconic atmospheres from previous editions which gave this event that special feeling.
Many players spoke out about it, including former ATP legends such as Lleyton Hewitt, who blasted the format multiple times publicly. Djokovic was asked about it in Valencia and admitted that a review of the format would be good. He remembers well the atmosphere in Belgrade when Serbia won the event, and clearly, he'd prefer that one compared to the one he's going to get in Valencia.
The format needs a review, of course, but since I'm not in the ITF I can't tell you what's going on. I hope they consult the players for the change, because they never consult us. I think the players should participate much more in this type of change, we all have to sit down together and talk about the future.
Djokovic is worried about the future of the Davis Cup because, with a format like this, people will simply stop caring. Players show a lot of passion for it still, but most of that comes from the nostalgia from the past. They all grew up dreaming of playing in the old format but this is a far cry from that.
For the sake of tennis and its history, this competition must survive, because it is the longest-running team competition we have. There is nothing more important than representing your country, so we will see how they redefine the format, I will be happy to offer my points of view if the ITF is willing to ask me about the subject, I am sure that the rest of my colleagues would also be happy to participate in this process.
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