The Davis Cup, in its traditional format, is dead

The Davis Cup, in its traditional format, is dead after a rally led by Australia failed to win enough support at a vote in Florida.

The Davis Cup Trophy. Photo: Daniel Smith

The Davis Cup, in its traditional format, is dead after a rally led by Australia failed to win enough support at a vote in Florida.

From next year, a competition in its 118th year will undergo a radical change and be decided by a week long tournament beginning in Madrid.

The International Tennis Federation, backed by Spanish soccer star Gerard Pique’s investment group Kosmos and American billionaire Larry Ellison, won a decisive victory over traditionalists including Australia.

Requiring a two-thirds majority for the controversial overhaul to pass, the ITF claimed 71 per cent of the vote after a bitter battle full of political intrigue.

The new event will be known as the World Cup of Tennis Finals playing off for the Davis Cup.

It will feature 18 teams competing in round-robin groups over three rubbers played over a best-of-three set format.

Fans who wish to support their nation will have to travel to Madrid for the first two years, before venturing to California in 2021.

The destinations for the event coincide with the financial backing for the event, with Pique and Ellison, who owns the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, investing in a 25-year deal worth $4.1 billion.

There will be 12 home-and-away ties played each January to decide finalists, while the semi-finalists from the previous year receive a bye, with a wildcard granted to other nations.

But there is still much to learn about the new concept given the lack of transparency and detail made public.

Australia, Germany and Britain were among the leading nations to vote against the proposal, hoping for more clarity and greater debate after the proposal was announced without consultation in February.

Since then, ITF President David Haggerty has travelled the globe, attending openings at venues in Africa, South America and Asia while promising the new venture will make tennis around the world stronger.

Australian legends including Lleyton Hewitt, Neale Fraser, John Newcombe and Rod Laver had spoken out against the proposal, lamenting it would kill off the Davis Cup.

Todd Woodbridge, a dual-winner for Australia, was aghast when Pique was allowed to address the congress prior to the vote while those who had participated and played for national glory were not availed the opportunity.

What it means for Australia’s relegation tie in Austria next month remains to be seen given it is effectively now redundant.