‘Lost its soul’: Tennis fans, players fume over new Davis Cup format

The new Davis Cup format is less than 24 hours old but the backlash has been brutal with both players and fans taking aim at Gerard Pique and the International Tennis Federation.

Fans failed to turn up. Picture: Supplied

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Angry tennis fans claim Gerard Pique’s new-look Davis Cup is already “killing” the famous tournament.

The Barcelona defender’s World Cup-style tournament opened in Madrid on Monday to huge swathes of empty seats after being turned into a season-ending, 18-nation shootout.

But the new format has “sold the soul” of tradition and the Davis Cup “doesn’t exist anymore,” according to critics on social media.

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Fans failed to turn up. Picture: Supplied

One fan tweeted: “Davis Cup is DEAD!!! @3gerardpique killed it” and another labelled it the “Pique Cup”.

The Spain and ex-Manchester United star Pique hit back when another tennis follower posted: “Not the biggest crowd...yet. 15 people sitting on this side of the stands.”

The 32-year-old replied: “Are you sure there are just 15??” - and added four emojis of crying with laughter.

Are you sure there are just 15?? 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/SouZ8FnBG7

— Gerard Piqué (@3gerardpique) November 18, 2019

Dear Gerard, I can see that you've never been to a REAL Davis Cup ! And that's not it

— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) November 18, 2019

🙈😪

— Kirsten Flipkens (@FlipperKF) November 18, 2019

They will try to sell it as success. Maybe because of a full main stadium. But that’s not what Davis Cup was about. Sad to see

— phil d (@Dphil82) November 18, 2019

Shame on ITF, all voters, Piqué and players who supported this change...

— Stéphane Bâlon (@stephanebalon) November 18, 2019

But fans pointed out the reference to low attendance was based on “missing local people” - not supporters of the teams involved.

Legend Roger Federer is among those absent as Switzerland failed to qualify.

Britain, though, landed a wildcard and a favourable draw for their squad of Andy Murray, Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund, Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski.

Two-time Wimbledon champ Murray wants the tournament to be given “a chance” and is “open to change”.

Davis cup is DEAD 💀 !!! @3gerardpique killed it. 😡

— Kevin ⭐⭐ (@GavJowil) November 18, 2019

Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt has been a vocal opponent of the new format. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty

But Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt protested strongly earlier this year.

The two-time grand slam winner said: “We’re getting run by a Spanish football player. That’s like me coming out and making changes to the Champions League.”

Pique and his newly-formed Kosmos Tennis agreed to pump in $4.1B (aud) for the tournament over the next 25 years.

But so far the reaction on social media has been sceptical at best.

One fan said: “Shame on ITF, all voters, Pique and players who supported this change.”

That brought the response: “They will try to sell it as success. Maybe because of a full main stadium. But that’s not what Davis Cup was about. Sad to see.”

This article was published with permission from The Sun