With only three days to prepare after winning the ATP Finals in Turin, Novak Djokovic is finding the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga as something of an anticlimax.
The Serb’s dis-satisfaction stems from the quirky format of the current tournament iteration, with the classic home-and-away standard completely obliterated in the Spanish-run event.
The world No. 1 was not shy about giving his opinion on what needs to change – despite the ITF insisting that nothing will.
” I think the best format would be something in between the old and the new,” the 36-year-old said prior to his nation’s knockout match on Thursday against underdog Britain.
“The fact that we have not played in Serbia for many years is not good, we do not give the people of Serbia the opportunity to see us play, especially the younger ones.
‘I think a home tie helps the (Serb) Federation.”
Djokovic cannot pin down his perfect set of changes, but has an idea on what might work.
“(Davis Cup discussions should) not be held behind closed doors. So far no one from the ITF has contacted us (players).
“This is something that should be changed; we are an integral part of the competition and we can provide very interesting information.”
Djokovic then got straight to the point: “Home and away ties are something that has made the Davis Cup famous.
“Giving a country (Spain) the chance to host the Finals for five years in a row… is a bit much, in my opinion.
“The tournament has to travel. It is a competition that is played at a global level. “I feel like if we’re going to have a Final Four or a Final Eight, he should travel every year, not stay in one place for more than a year.”
