Alexander Zverev warns ‘a lot of top players will not play’ in Davis Cup finals

Alexander Zverev is sticking to his guns over his boycott of the overhauled Davis Cup finals, saying the “Davis Cup has some serious issues to think about”.
The International Tennis Federation approved a major revamp of the men’s team tournament earlier this year with the event changed into a weeklong, 18-team competition at one venue.
The first edition will take place at Madrid’s La Caja Magica in November 2019 and Rafael Nadal was the first big-name player to commit to the tournament.
However, the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have hinted that they won’t play and will instead participate in the ATP Tour’s World Team Cup.
Zverev, though, has made it clear that he won’t take part in the Davis Cup finals in November, even though he could feature for Germany in the play-offs.
“Next year is no ATP World Cup yet, so it’s the year after,” the world No 5 said.
“I’m not going to play Davis Cup in November. I am going to play in February in Germany, in Frankfurt, I’m going to do that.
“The Davis Cup has some serious issues to think about. One of them is the dates. I think the date is very important and I think none of the top players will play, except Rafa because it’s in Spain.
“I’m very, very sure that a lot of top players will not play. We’ll see how it goes.”
The World Team Cup is expected to take place before the Australian Open in January 2020 and Zverev is much more open to that idea as it is unlikely to be a scheduling nightmare.
“I don’t know much about it yet. It’s still a long time to go for the event,” he said. “Hopefully, it’s going to be a good event. Obviously, it’s in the first week of the year, so it makes sense to play, and it’s in Australia as well.
“So it’s not bad schedule-wise.”
More from Tennis365:
Comment: Roger Federer’s lack of excuses suggest he is closer to the end that we feared
Five key questions ahead of ATP Finals: Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer with stories at stake
Judy Murray on why she thinks more female role models need to jump into the world of tennis coaching
EXCLUSIVE: Judy Murray urges tennis to shed its elitist tag and open its doors to the masses
Analysis: Rafael Nadal has surely disappointed in 2018 despite clay season brilliance
Top 10: Things that have happened on the ATP Tour since Novak Djokovic last finished year as No 1
Latest
-
ATP Tour
Montreal draw: Daniil Medvedev set for nightmare opener against Nick Kyrgios
Taylor Fritz faces Andy Murray in one of the highlights of the first round.
-
Tennis Features
How much is tennis legend John McEnroe worth?
John McEnroe owns several properties and continues to do broadcasting work.
-
News
Los Cabos: Cameron Norrie eye on third ATP Tour title of 2022
The British number one battled to a 6-4 3-6 6-3 victory in the semi-finals.
-
Tennis News
Citi Open: Nick Kyrgios marches on as Dan Evans is upset
Nick Kyrgios is chasing a repeat of 2019 and a first title since his last DC Triumph.
-
WTA Tour
Toronto draw: Stacked top quarter could be seeds graveyard
The Toronto Masters has no soft paths to glory.
-
WTA Tour
Citi Open: Emma Raducanu falls to Liudmila Samsonova
Fellow Brit Dan Evans also went down in Washington.
-
WTA Tour
Exclusive – Former British No 1 with an upbeat verdict on Emma Raducanu
Durie has backed the young Brit to find her form if she can steer clear of injuries.
-
Tennis News
Exclusive – Former British No 1 on whether Novak Djokovic should play at the US Open
Jo Durie believes it will be a ‘real shame’ if Novak Djokovic cannot play at the US Open.
-
WTA Tour
Naomi Osaka lauds Coco Gauff as a star on and off the court
Coco Gauff is already a big star according to Naomi Osaka.
-
WTA Tour
Emma Raducanu could climb to World No 8 in DC
A new career-high ranking might await Emma Raducanu next week.