Lleyton Hewitt and Novak Djokovic want return to old Davis Cup
Australia could end a 20-year Davis Cup drought without playing a single match at home and that’s not the way Lleyton Hewitt wants it.
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As Australia looks to end a 20-year Davis Cup-winning drought in Spain, captain Lleyton Hewitt has lamented the lack of national euphoria the tournament once created, joining world No.1 Novak Djokovic as an agitator for change.
Australia will take on Finland in a semi-final in Malaga, Spain, having scored a rousing quarter-final win over the Czech Republic in front of a meagre crowd. It was Australia’s 200th Davis Cup tie win, only the second country, behind the USA, to reach that milestone.
The Aussies won their way to the finals via a playoff in Manchester, the new system denying Hewitt’s men the home-and-away matches that he said were “No.1” in driving passion and engagement when he was a player.
The format changed in 2019 when the International Tennis Federation scrapped home-and-away games, opting for the new-look tournament that puts all eight finalists in one place, which for the past two years has been Spain.
Hewitt said his memories of playing in Spain, against the likes of Rafael Nadal more than two decades ago, were in stark contrast to the current situation.
“The No.1 thing is home-and-away ties,” he said after Australia’s win over the Czech Republic.
“I have watched plenty of vision the last few years, even of back in the day when I was playing, (Pat) Cash, (Pat) Rafter, these guys. The crowds, even me coming back here to Spain and remembering 2000.
“Rafa Nadal was carrying the flag onto the court in front of over 20,000 people, all booing and screaming against me, and it was still an unbelievable atmosphere that I’d want a dream of playing in.
“You know, that’s what the Davis Cup was about. So whether we played home semis and finals in Rod Laver Arena or away in France, in Nice, or obviously Barcelona, it was an unbelievable experience and some of my best memories. Some of my hardest memories, as well, but some of my very best.”
Djokovic’s presence in Serbia’s team that took down Great Britain to progress to the semi-finals helped produce the event’s only sellout crowd.
But having not played a Davis Cup clash in his homeland since 2018, Djokovic said the “old” way was better.
“I actually personally feel that the best format will be somewhere in between the old one and the new one, but I don’t think that this is best for the nations participating in the World Group,” Djokovic said.
“The fact that we, as a team, have not played in Serbia many years is not great because we don’t give an opportunity to people in Serbia to watch us play, especially young people, young tennis players.
“This is a competition that is played globally. It shouldn’t stay in one place more than a year.”
Originally published as Lleyton Hewitt and Novak Djokovic want return to old Davis Cup
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