Alexander Zverev relished the standing ovations following his team’s qualification for the Davis Cup finals, but even in Halle the tennis star could not avoid voicing some criticism. This time, the US Open champion took issue with the competition’s highly controversial format.
“I hope that the decision-makers at the Davis Cup will eventually open their eyes and see what the real Davis Cup is. Because this weekend was the real Cup,” said Zverev after the 3–1 victory over Croatia.
The fact that the team tournament is now decided over a single week of finals at a neutral venue is a thorn in Zverev’s side. “What we’re playing in Bologna is absolute rubbish. I hope we go back to the old format,” railed the 29-year-old, who won both his singles matches in Halle with ease.
Davis Cup: Zverev has no sympathy for the new format
For Zverev, the competition thrives on home and away matches, euphoric spectators and the special sense of community between a team and its fans. He had previously described the current format as a “show tournament”.
In Bologna, the German team is aiming for its first Davis Cup title since 1993. It is expected that Zverev will be part of the squad – even though he has not yet given a definitive commitment. “There are still two months to go until Bologna. I’ve still got plenty of tournaments ahead of me,” he said. In any case, the fact that he doesn’t like the format is “no secret. I say that every year.”
