Gerard Piqué "wants to create something really special," according to Kelly Fairweather.GETTY IMAGES
The new-look Davis Cup, "masterminded" by Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué, has the "potential to rival golf's Ryder Cup as a sporting spectacle," organizers say, according to Richard Martin of REUTERS. Under changes to the year-long format, the 118-year-old national team tournament will become a week-long, season-ending event with the first two editions happening in Madrid in '19 and '20. Int'l Tennis Federation COO Kelly Fairweather believes the re-fashioned competition "can become one of the most anticipated events in the sporting calendar." Fairweather: "The kind of thing we have in mind is the Ryder Cup. Look where it has come from to where it is today. There's a real frenzy about it, it's amazing, that's the goal we have. We want it to be a massive event. It's different to a Grand Slam because it's national teams but that's the intention, to make it an event that is a ticket which people want." Piqué's investment group, Kosmos, pledged to "pour" $3B into the Davis Cup over the next 25 years although the footballer's "shake-up of the competition has not been welcomed by everyone." Roger Federer said in August, "It's a bit odd to see a footballer arrive and meddle in the tennis business." Fairweather described World Cup and Champions League-winning-Piqué as "very open minded." Fairweather said, "He's not only a footballer, it's unfair to describe him as that. He loves sport, he loves tennis and he wants to create something really special. I applaud him for that, and it adds some glamour" (REUTERS, 10/21).
