Andy Roddick slams tennis chiefs as he admits he ‘hates’ big change in the sport
Former world No 1 Andy Roddick didn’t hold back as he gave a brutal verdict over the changes made to the Davis Cup format.
Roddick always highlights his victory in the biggest team event in tennis back in 2007 as one of the highlights of his career, with his memories of the victory over Russia in a final played on American soil in Portland among his most cherished.
The competition has been through numerous changes in recent years and in the latest episode of his Served podcast, the 2003 US Open champion suggested the constant alternations to the format have damaged the significance of the competition.
He is also not impressed by the move to make the finale of the competition an eight-team knockout event, with this year’s tournament concluding in Bologna for the first time.
“I hate what the format is now,” declared Roddick, as he reflected on the USA’s exit against Czechia, in a tie played in Delray Beach.
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“The USA were playing at home last weekend and there were, like, 3,000 people there. How do you market it? It’s like, this is the tie before the ties (in the final in Bologna).
“It doesn’t make any sense. If Delray is the semi-finals and we saw we are on to the finals. Then you saw how many are in the finals and there are eight. So we are in the quarter-finals right? This just sucks.
“We lost against Spain with Rafael Nadal and (Carlos) Moya and co in ’04. There were 29,000 fans in a football stadium. That was an amazing atmosphere. That felt like Davis Cup.
“Now they are playing the Finals in Italy. They are playing in Bologna. It was like… it’s going to be in Spain from now on and now it’s not. It’s just really hard to follow.
“It just feels like it’s a brand now and the tournament doesn’t really matter. This feels like a separate conversation, but we need to dive into this dumpster fire sometime.”
Roddick speaks as one of the biggest advocates of the Davis Cup, with his memories of his 2007 win a team that also featured James Blake and the Bryan brothers in doubles highlighting his passion for the Davis Cup.
“Winning the US Open, trying to compete for slams, you’re playing for a lot of selfish reasons,” said Roddick.
“To win it with your team-mates is different, it’s special. When we meet up all these years later, it’s still the thing we talk about and that will never change.
“So it’s a shame to see how the competition has changed over the last few years. A real shame.
Defending champions Italy, Germany, France, Argentina, Czechia, Spain, Belgium and Austria will compete in the Davis Cup finals week in Bologna in November.
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