The Davis Cup, one of the oldest competitions in the world created in 1900, will change again. It is Gilles Moretton, the president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), who confirms it: the Board of the ITF (International Tennis Federation) has ended the partnership with Kosmos Global Tennis, the company of the former footballer, Gerard Pique.
“I would like to inform you that the ITF Board has taken the decision to end the partnership with Kosmos Tennis, writes the boss of French tennis. I have always fought against this format of the Davis Cup, an institution in our sport. This is a great victory for tennis. The ITF confirms that it will manage the qualifying round and the final phase of the competition of the 2023 edition, these will take place as planned. »
A message from Gilles Moretton unveiled this Thursday evening on social networks by BeIN Sports journalist Frédéric Viard, and confirmed to us by the FFT.
The partnership between the ITF and Kosmos began in 2018 in controversy. Davis Cup purists were indignant at the change in format of one of the key events in the world of tennis. Indeed, while the event ran throughout the calendar year, the competition had turned into a week-long event in one venue.
According to the same sources, the 2023 edition will be taken over by the ITF with qualifying phases and a final phase as in previous editions, under the Kosmos Global Tennis era.
“The ITF has ensured financial contingencies are covered and, as custodians of the competition, we will run the 2023 qualifiers and finals as planned, with the eight-team finals staged in Malaga. , in Spain, in November,” she wrote in a statement to AFP.
A source familiar with the matter explains that the ITF and Kosmos have failed to reach a financial agreement.
However, the ITF has not commented at this stage on the Davis Cup formula beyond the 2023 edition.
This year, France must face Hungary on February 3 and 4 to try to qualify for the final phase which will take place in Malaga (Spain).
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