The Davis Cup slammed yet again as former winner says the ‘spirit’ of the event is gone
The Davis Cup returned for its qualification stage recently and it continued to be as controversial as ever.
Many are not happy with the format of the tournament now as best-of-five sets and home and away ties were scrapped for the Finals, in favour of an eight-team tournament at the end of the year.
Alexander Zverev was one of the key players who is against the format of the Davis Cup, having played under the traditional format in the early days of his career.
“I hope that the Davis Cup decision-makers will eventually wake up and see what the real Davis Cup is,” Zverev said after Germany’s recent victory against Croatia.
“Because this weekend was the real Cup. What we’re playing in Bologna is absolute rubbish. I hope we return to the old format.”
Now, Yannick Noah has criticised the format, having been a pivotal member of the Davis Cup’s defining era.
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“I find it a bit difficult to talk about the Davis Cup today, having experienced the authentic Davis Cup. For me, this isn’t the real Davis Cup. From the beginning, I was against this format,” “I don’t recognize the spirit of the Davis Cup,” said Noah.
“I don’t recognize the spirit of the competition. In my day, and for the generations before and immediately after mine—before this change occurred— we were prepared to do anything to be selected. We were prepared to do anything to play in the Davis Cup.
“Because it was a competition that meant something. It was part of history. There was a tradition. And, overnight, all of that disappeared. And we see that the best players no longer participate.
“It’s true that, back then, there were some players who considered the schedule too demanding and didn’t play. But that was something entirely different. As a spectator today, I find it difficult to be interested in this competition.”
Noah is synonomous with the Davis Cup, having reached the final as a player and overseen a France victory as a coach.
He was part of the French team who lost to the United States in the 1982 final, but nine years later he was able to finally lift the trophy.
Noah led the likes of Guy Forget and Henri Laconte as they toppled a United States team featuring Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi as France won their first Davis Cup title since 1932.
If there is anyone who knows about how special the Davis Cup can be, it’s Noah.
