By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, October 4, 2024
The ITF announces major changes for Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup starting in 2025.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty for ITF Davis Cup
Davis Cup will resume a valued tradition next year.
The 2025 Davis Cup format will return to the traditional home-and-away ties in the September stage moving away from the current four-group stage events, the International Tennis Federation announced today.
More: WADA Appeals Sinner's Doping Case, Seeks Ban for World No. 1
Starting next September, seven home-or-away ties will be staged over two days. The seven winning teams from those ties will join the host nation in the Davis Cup Final 8 set for November of 2025.
In addition, the Billie Jean King Cup Finals will transform from a 12-team event to an eight-team event starting next year in an effort to align Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.
"Today's news is another positive step forward for both the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge and the Davis Cup, and I am excited for the future of both competitions," ITF President David Haggerty said. "The format amendments aim to build on the success we have seen across both events in recent years and contributes towards our long-term ambition to bring them more in sync under the World Cup of Tennis banner.
"In Billie Jean King Cup, the move to an eight-team Finals aligns with the Davis Cup Final 8 format, which has proven to be such a success. Moving the Davis Cup September stage from six-day group stage events, to two day home or away ties will ease players' schedules immediately following the US Open, while maintaining the intensity of the competition that they all love."
Davis Cup changed its format in 2019, making the finals a group affair with a host city, eliminating best-of-five matches, and making ties best-of-three sets with doubles as a decider.
That 2019 plan spearheaded by ITF president David Haggerty and investment group Kosmos, led by former FC Barcelona soccer star Gerard Pique, reformed Davis Cup culminating with week-long Davis Cup finale each November. In January of 2023, the ITF terminated its 25-year pact with the Pique-led Kosmos, which was supposed to pump money into Davis Cup and tennis internationally.
Those changes, notably going to September group stage play rather than the traditional home-and-away ties incensed some critics, including Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt, John McEnroe and Stan Wawrinka.
In recent years, Hewitt has blasted those format changes as "gutting the Davis Cup" and "selling out the soul of Davis Cup."
“The Davis Cup was held in the highest regard, up there with the pinnacle of our sport in tennis—with matches played over five sets," Hewitt said. “We threw that out the door and then we’ve thrown the home and away out the door as well. Playing a qualifying tie here or there, best of three sets, is not the same as having home and away, main draw matches over the year."
Now, the move back to home-and-away September stage ties will return a vital tradition.
Jannik Sinner demolished Aussie Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-0 sealing Italy’s first Davis Cup championship in 47 years with a 2-0 triumph over Australia in the Davis Cup final in Malaga, Spain last November.
Striking crackling shots, Sinner surged through the final eight straight games overpowering the Aussie for his sixth victory over de Minaur in as many meetings and his 64th win of a spectacular season.
"It has been an incredible feeling I think for all of us and obviously we are really happy," Sinner said. "We kept together everything and obviously yesterday we were one point away from being out and now we can celebrate the win."