A few days ago, Stan Wawrinka lashed out at Gerard Pique following a poor turnout at the Davis Cup clash between Switzerland and France in Manchester. The 38-year-old Swiss national blamed Pique because of his involvement with the Kosmos Group.
Former Spanish soccer player, Gerard Pique is the founder of the Kosmos Group, which took over the management of the Davis Cup in 2019. They made a drastic change to the format of the Davis Cup by doing away with home and away ties, replacing them with a World Cup-style event.
According to Wawrinka, the new format has had a poor effect on both the audience and the players. It is interesting to note that, ITF has already ended its association with the Kosmos Group in January 2023, 20 years before the Euro 2.5 billion was supposed to end.
Thank you @3gerardpique @ITFTennis 🤬🤦🏻♂️! @DavisCup France vs Switzerland in Manchester lol pic.twitter.com/XqcqSQEURd
— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) September 12, 2023
On the other hand, Gerard Pique has declined the allegations pointed at him by Stan Wawrinka. In an interview with the Spanish national daily Marca, Gerard Pique said, “We arrived with a competition that was in decline, it was at a low point. And on a sporting, economic, and audience level, above all, we turned the tournament around.’
Gerard Pique also talked about how they took over the Davis Cup just before COVID-19 abruptly interrupted the way sporting events took place. He also claimed that the profit generated by the Davis Cup was quadrupled and the number of sponsors increased to 15 from three under the management of Kosmos Group.
Boris Becker joins Stan Wawrinka in calling out Gerard Pique for Davis Cup issue
Former German tennis player, Boris Becker joined Stan Wawrinka in speaking out against Gerard Pique and the Kosmos group, blaming them for destroying the legacy of the prestigious tournament.
Boris Becker believes a chance back to the old format of home and away matches would be positive for the Davis Cup. The Six-time Grand Slam champion lashed out, saying whoever devised the new format does not know anything about tennis, indirectly pointing a finger at Gerard Pique.
Before the format was changed, Davis Cup followed a knockout format with matches taking place throughout the year. Boris Becker reminisced about the old days and said, “When Germany played in Spain it was one of the most exciting weekends I have ever experienced. That is where the Davis Cup must come back. The way it is played today is not good.”
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has also spoken about the new format, calling it, “less than ideal.” However, unlike other players bashing the new format, Djokovic believes an ideal solution lies in finding a balance between the old and the new format.
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