The first edition of the new Davis Cup format, established in consultation with the ITF by its new owner, the Kosmos group led by FC Barcelona player Gerard Piqué, saw Spain win against Canada in a first edition which had fueled controversy.
The necessary adjustments had to be necessary, the new formula sometimes resembling the circus games with matches ending in the middle of the night ... The first edition took place only in Madrid for only seven days.
The final phase of the centenary event will be played this year over 11 days and in three European cities from November 25 to December 5, again in Madrid, as two years ago, but also in Innsbruck (Austria) and Turin (Italy). .
“Each city will host two of the six groups, then Madrid will host two quarter-finals while Innsbruck and Turin host one each.
The Spanish capital will also host the semi-finals and the final ”, detailed the ITF in a statement, the event was scheduled from 22 to 28 November.
France will play in Insnsbruck, before if all goes well, to play the “final four” in Madrid.
Don't Stop.
Evolve
3 cities, 11 days, 18 national teams
Davis Cup Finals 2021 # DavisCupFinalspic.twitter.com / LqZzjsPksS
- Davis Cup (@DavisCup) April 12, 2021
With only 130,000 spectators for the whole competition with supporters from all over the world, the Kosmos event was not really a popular success.
By way of comparison, the Masters 1000 in Madrid, played at the same place at the beginning of May, attracts more than… 200,000 spectators each year in the pre-pandemic world.
Rafael Nadal, an essential element of this first, in a blameless luxury VRP (8 matches, 8 wins), had made the Caja Magica… magical, with a very Davis Cup atmosphere.
This was not always the case in the stands, sometimes half empty, sometimes voiceless when other nations were playing ...
»
READ ALSO
Atmosphere, schedules, calendar, Federer… Gerard Piqué's assessment of the new Davis Cup
»
READ ALSO
The (nuanced) look of foreign journalists on the new Davis Cup
It was Kosmos, who bought the Davis Cup for 3 billion euros over 25 years to make it a competition originally bringing together all the teams in one place over a few days at the very end of the year.
Originally, the event was to be held in a single city and was intended to run.
But faced with the popular failure of the first edition, the organizers still had to review their copy ... Another change but which will not be introduced until 2022, the passage from 18 to 16 teams.
A naming contract has been concluded with Rakuten, e-commerce giant, title partner for 2019 and 2021. La Liga and Louis Vuitton are among the other sponsors.
But a serious doubt remains concerning TV rights, the sinews of war.
This new version Davis Cup having remained very confidential on television.
Change of scenery in 2021?
Read also
Nadal saves (a little) the appearances of the new Davis Cup