Home
The Davis Cup is going through some dark times… before perhaps returning to the forefront. The end of the story between Kosmos and tennis is complex. Five years ago, the ITF signed a contract with footballer Gerard Piqué’s company Kosmos. The result was a series of brutal reforms to the century-old competition, which was heavily criticised for having only one week of competition and best-of-three set matches. In the end, the contract between the ITF and Kosmos will not be renewed and Davis Cup will be run by the ITF from 2023. According to Spanish media outlet Sport, the ITF is even expected to take legal action against Gerard Piqué and Kosmos. A few hours later, Marca reported that Kosmos was planning to counter-attack by filing a lawsuit against the ITF. This Friday, the four Grand Slam tournaments decided to communicate.
“The Grand Slam tournaments are united in their support for the Davis Cup competition, recognising its historical importance and role in the sport. Following an initial meeting earlier today, we believe there is scope to enter into further discussions with the ITF and ATP regarding the future of the Davis Cup competition with the ambition of seeing it restored to a premier event with an optimal format that benefits players, fans and the sport in general. Protecting the sport’s heritage and safeguarding major team competitions such as Davis Cup and the Billie Jean King Cup is a priority for the global tennis community and one that the Grand Slam tournaments support,” it read.
Now the International Tennis Federation, which has taken over control of the Davis Cup, is considering the format of the new competition and, at the same time, is preparing a strategy to go to court against Gerard Piqué and his company for debts and accumulated damages. The objective is clear: to recover as much money as possible to clean up the competition’s finances and perhaps pay the eight finalists of the 2022 edition, who have still not received their cheques…
