Former world No 1 slams ‘stupid’ and ‘ridiculous’ Davis Cup format

Lleyton Hewitt press conference
Lleyton Hewitt has criticised the scheduling and format of the Davis Cup.

Former world No 1 and Australian Davis Cup team captain Lleyton Hewitt has slammed the format and scheduling of the competition as “stupid” and “ridiculous”.

The changed format has attracted controversy ever since it was first introduced in 2019, with a Finals stage currently held in Spain – and qualifiers held in September – rather than home and away ties throughout the season.

Davis Cup Finals qualification started on Tuesday last week, just two days after the US Open finished – with Australia among the affected nations.

Top-10 star Alex de Minaur did not play after reaching the last eight in New York, while men’s doubles star Max Purcell played in Valencia just three days after winning the title at Flushing Meadows.

Speaking after their qualification was secured, Hewitt – part of the last victorious Australian Open team in 2003 – slammed the format, and the event’s proximity to the season’s final major.

“We’ve had a few guys this week pretty banged up – and it’s only really our locker room knows that,” he said.

“It would have been very easy for a few of my boys to not turn up this week, but they’ve come and they put on the green and gold, and done absolutely everything I’ve asked of them. I’m super proud.

“To try and ask players to play the second day after a grand slam finishes, it’s not easy. In the old format, I used to have to do it, but you’d at least have until the Friday before you had to play.

“Now to play on Tuesday, it’s ridiculous.”

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Victories over France and the Czech Republic in their first two ties in Valencia this past week were enough for Australia to seal their place in the Davis Cup Finals, which take place in Malaga this November.

That meant that, in an unfortunate quirk of the format, their final tie against Spain on Sunday was a dead rubber – with the hosts also already through.

Spain proceeded to win the dead rubber 2-1, with Marcell Granollers and Pedro Martinez defeating Matt Ebden and Max Purcell in the doubles tie to seal victory.

“That’s the stupid part of this format, isn’t it? You know, I can keep saying it,” added Hewitt.

“But the format is what it is, and we’ll do what we need to do to get through and give ourselves a chance of hopefully holding up the trophy.”

Ebden was also critical of the layout of the event after the tie was over.

He commented: “It’s a different feel, I’m not gonna lie. Of course, I tried to win – it’s not an excuse that we lost – but it’s a weird feeling.

“Max has obviously been carrying some injuries for the whole week. So he did amazing to win the US Open and then come here and help us get the team qualified for Malaga – and that was the only goal.”

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