SHANGHAI: Roger Federer added his heft to the growing debate around the controversial new-format Davis Cup, announcing on Thursday that "this was not designed for me".
The inaugural Davis Cup finals are slated for every week in Madrid in November 2019 as a part of a revamp to the contest, but it surely has been contentious with players.
Alexander Zverev, the sector quantity five, said at the Shanghai Masters that he's going to no longer compete in the men's team event as it comes at the end of a protracted season.
Third-ranked Novak Djokovic agreed on Thursday that the timing was "really bad" and he also appears not going to characteristic.
And then Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion, added his voice to the controversy when quizzed after beating Roberto Bautista Agut to achieve the Shanghai quarter-finals.
"No, I highly doubt it, of course. We'll see what happens," said the 37-year-old, who has been moderately managing his agenda since 2017 to wring essentially the most out of his aging body.
"I don't believe this was designed for me, anyways.
"This was designed for the long run era of players."
Djokovic said that he is backing the rival ATP World Team Cup, set to take place weeks after the Davis Cup finals, originally of the 2020 season.
The 31-year-old said there was "confusion" with the 2 competing events coming so shut together and being so similar.
"I simply feel like the date of the Davis Cup is actually bad, especially for the top players," said Djokovic, echoing the strong sentiments of Zverev an afternoon earlier.
"Between the 2, I will prioritise the World Team Cup because that's a competition of ATP.
"But also I believe and I'm hoping that there might be a bigger discussion between the players to understand how we're going to manner those two competitions.
"Or hopefully we can make it to the purpose the place we can have one big 'Super World Cup', if you want to name it (that), or whatever it is, because that's the most productive thing for our game.
"But the way it seems right now, we are going to have two at the moment."
The inaugural Davis Cup finals are slated for every week in Madrid in November 2019 as a part of a revamp to the contest, but it surely has been contentious with players.
Alexander Zverev, the sector quantity five, said at the Shanghai Masters that he's going to no longer compete in the men's team event as it comes at the end of a protracted season.
Third-ranked Novak Djokovic agreed on Thursday that the timing was "really bad" and he also appears not going to characteristic.
And then Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion, added his voice to the controversy when quizzed after beating Roberto Bautista Agut to achieve the Shanghai quarter-finals.
"No, I highly doubt it, of course. We'll see what happens," said the 37-year-old, who has been moderately managing his agenda since 2017 to wring essentially the most out of his aging body.
"I don't believe this was designed for me, anyways.
"This was designed for the long run era of players."
Djokovic said that he is backing the rival ATP World Team Cup, set to take place weeks after the Davis Cup finals, originally of the 2020 season.
The 31-year-old said there was "confusion" with the 2 competing events coming so shut together and being so similar.
"I simply feel like the date of the Davis Cup is actually bad, especially for the top players," said Djokovic, echoing the strong sentiments of Zverev an afternoon earlier.
"Between the 2, I will prioritise the World Team Cup because that's a competition of ATP.
"But also I believe and I'm hoping that there might be a bigger discussion between the players to understand how we're going to manner those two competitions.
"Or hopefully we can make it to the purpose the place we can have one big 'Super World Cup', if you want to name it (that), or whatever it is, because that's the most productive thing for our game.
"But the way it seems right now, we are going to have two at the moment."
Federer says new Davis Cup 'not designed for me'
![Federer says new Davis Cup 'not designed for me']()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
October 12, 2018
Rating:
