Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal back Gerard Pique's radical plans to change the Davis Cup
Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have both come out in support of Pique's idea, which is gaining traction with organisers
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Your support makes all the difference.Gerard Pique is set to turn his hand from football to revolutionising the Davis Cup's tired format in a project backed by Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
Pique faced an expectedly hostile reception when he attended the Madrid Masters for two days earlier this week from the locals, but behind closed doors his idea for a 16-team knockout tournament in one location over one week is gaining momentum among the sport's governing bodies, and, most importantly, the world's top players.
“I think that it's a really exciting idea. If it comes off, I think it would be a very, very good thing for tennis,” said an enthusiastic Murray, who led Great Britain to their first Davis Cup for 79 years in 2015.
The current Davis Cup format of three-day matches spread over weekends in February, April, September and November has lead many of the sport's biggest names to turn their back on the competition in order to prioritise preparations for Grand Slams.
Pique, who met with ATP chief Chris Kermode amongst others in Madrid this week, hopes to lead a competition heavily backed by sponsors with tens of millions in prize money to attract the likes of Murray, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer back into representing their country.
All four have pulled back from playing in the competition after leading their respective nations to win the Davis Cup with many other players only participating to comply with the minimum criteria needed to qualify for the Olympic Games.
“For many years they have been static,” Nadal said of the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) reluctance to change the format. “They haven't moved with the times or looked for new solutions.”
“Pique is part of a group that wants to create a World Cup that would be a great and very interesting tournament to compete in,” he added. “It would be a fantastic initiative if it goes through and hopefully it will.”
To qualify for the Olympics, players must make themselves available for four Davis Cup matches in the four-year Olympic cycle. Murray was absent as Great Britain bowed out to France 4-1 in their World Group quarter-final last month.
“We've exchanged messages,” added Murray on his contact with Pique following his shock loss to Borna Coric on Thursday. “I think there's still a lot of things that need to be worked out before it potentially happens, but I think it would be a very good thing for tennis.
“Tennis needs an event like that, and I think it would be very good.”
Djokovic was equally effusive, although he warned the Barcelona defender of the pitfalls in dealing with the fragmented governing bodies competing for top tennis players' time.
“To see one of the football greats coming to the tennis world and trying to support it personally, but also in some structural business way, can only bring positives to our sport. We did talk several times,” said the Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner.
“The tennis world is complex if I can say, because there are many different governing bodies and many different associations that have the control over certain aspects of the game or tournaments.
“The schedule is quite complicated, but I'm really glad that there are people like Gerard that are willing to invest the time and energy to make this game better, so hopefully it's going to come to life.”
Djokovic has been an outspoken critic of the current Davis Cup format in the past. At the ATP World Tour finals in London last year, he blasted plans for only minor changes proposed by the International Tennis Federation of switching the final to a neutral venue.
If it comes off, I think it would be a very, very good thing for tennis.
“The only thing that they wanted to change is the neutral final, I think for next year or the year after that. Nobody agrees with that,” Djokovic said. “You're taking away from the players the one thing that players love about Davis Cup, which is the home tie, the home crowd.
“I don't know how the future of Davis Cup will look like, but there is definitely something radically that has to change.”
Pique has already shown himself to have a keen business mind to match his abilities as one of the best defenders of his generation. The former Manchester United man owns his own video games company and played a big part in helping Barca secure a huge shirt sponsorship deal with Japanese online retailer Rakuten from next season worth at least 55 million euros a year.
Pique has also not hidden his intention to become Barca president once he hangs up his playing boots.
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