Davis Cup needs Olympic success

It's not without some sense of arbitrariness that the mainstream of men's professional tennis can be divided into two broad groups.

On the one hand, everything that is under the orbit of the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals), its most visible areas are the so-called circuits ranging from ATP 250 to ATP 1000, which distribute the most funds and participate It's a circuit. Having passed the first two stages in Indian Wells and Miami, the premiere has just begun on the clay courts of the charming Monte Carlo Country Club. This is a calendar compressed into 11 months of intense competition, with space also reserved for so-called challengers. A challenger is a contest that has a lower payout and points than the contests listed above, but especially one in which he plays two fundamental roles. Launching a platform for the youngest and as a starting point to recovery for those who have already experienced the consequences or a crisis of physical illness.

The other thing is that everything is done under the supervision of the ITF (International Tennis Federation). There are four of his great gems in this sport. It is an open tournament in Australia (Melbourne), France (Roland Garros) and Great. England (Wimbledon) and America (Flushing Meadows). Regardless of the battle for power and money, no one would be able to do without these competitions, which are by far the most prestigious in the sport.

A similar thing has happened at the Olympics, and for the first time since the 1988 Seoul Games, the flight routes of the Olympic stars have been marked in red for a week. It is difficult to find significant absences in this regard. The historic medal list from the past 36 years includes Andre Agassi, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Evgeny Kafelnikov, Sergi Bruguera, Alexander Zverev, Juan Martin del Potro, Andy Murray and of course It's no coincidence that it includes names like Roger Federer and Rafael. Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Looking back at the medal record for both men and women, we see that there is no doubting the success represented by the discipline's return to the Olympic arena.

The success of this relationship has special benefits, because not everything always goes smoothly. Tennis had already been included as a men's sport in Athens in 1896, but four years later women were included, and its continuation was interrupted after Paris in 1924. It's hard to believe that tennis didn't exist for more than 60 years of his life, but today it feels so natural to watch world-class tennis. They're so active that they're even willing to use the brand of their main sponsor to get on the spot.

Another competition managed by the ITF is the Davis Cup, which is always the talk of the men, but is perhaps the sport's most famous annual trophy. Not to mention those competing in teams.

We have already discussed in this same space the challenges of competing in a high-profile event, an organizational and financial crisis during a season in which an already stuffy schedule is further compressed by the presence of matches.

But that's not all. Who doubts that the group stage of the first category (Venues of Bologna, Manchester, Valencia and Zhuhai) will be held in September, and the determination of the annual champion will take place in November, starting with a draw of the first two teams in the quarter-finals. There's no one there. previous stage. Nor does anyone dare say what the format will be in 2025.

In particular, it seems difficult to return to the historic format of 16 countries playing a simple elimination round with an attractive position system, both because of the number of participating teams and the dates available. And while the current plan appeared to be sustainable as long as the multi-million dollar contract with Cosmos, headed by soccer player Gerard Pique, remains in effect, this is the reason for the judicial dispute. As expected, everyone believes they believe their claims. It is correct. Whatever the outcome of the lawsuit, it is unlikely to end soon.

Is there a format that allows us to go back to the source without meaning abandoning the presence of key figures? In terms of numbers, six of the members of the current top 10 in the world rankings , they don't have a team that can play in the so-called World Group. As such, it's hard to establish what we're saying about Davis doing his best on the circuit. There, there was talk of using the idea of ​​holding contests at intervals of two years as a seduction tool. Anything that means stripping even more tradition and mystique from something already obsolete only adds to the damage done to the contest.

Meanwhile, tennis continues, Olympic success continues, Davis Cup continues. Uncertainty continues.