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Top stars get behind Gerard Piqué’s plans for a tennis World Cup

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique's plans as part of a consortium for a new World Cup of tennis event have been backed by leading players such as Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Published: 12 May 2017 15:49 CEST

Top stars get behind Gerard Piqué's plans for a tennis World Cup

Gerard Piqué takes a selfie with a fan while watching Serbia's Novak Djokovic play Austria's Dominic Thiem at the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament in London on November 13th 2016. Photo: AFP

Pique was in the Spanish capital on Monday and Tuesday this week with negotiations ongoing on when and where such a tournament could fit into the packed tennis schedule.

The plans would see the whole tournament take place in one location over a maximum of 10 days.

“I think that it's a really exciting idea. If it comes off, I think it would be a very, very good thing for tennis,” said Murray after his defeat to Borna Coric at the Madrid Masters on Thursday.

“Tennis needs an event like that, and I think it would be very good.”

Such a tournament could spell more problems for the much-criticised Davis Cup, which currently has three-day matches spread over February, April, September and November.

As a result many of the sport's biggest stars have turned their back on the competition in order to prioritise preparations for Grand Slams

“For many years they have been static,” Nadal said of the Davis Cup organisers the International Tennis Federation.

“They haven't moved with the times or looked for new solutions.”

“Pique is part of a group that wants to create a World Cup that would be a great and very interesting tournament to compete in.

“It would be a fantastic initiative if it goes through and hopefully it will.”

Djokovic also backed the plans after saying he had met personally with Pique “several times.”

“The schedule is quite complicated, but I'm really glad that there are people like Gerard that are willing to invest the time and energy to make this game better,” said the Serb.

“Hopefully it's going to come to life.”

READ ALSO: Meet the new face of women's tennis: Garbiñe Muguruza

Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?

Is it the end of the line for Roger? Photo: Martin BUREAU / AFP

The 20-time Grand Slam winner announced on Wednesday that he would be sidelined until 2021 after his second operation in a matter of months.

Federer remains upbeat, tweeting: “I plan to take the necessary time to be 100 percent ready to play at my highest level.”

In some ways 2020 is a good season to miss after the coronavirus ravaged the tennis schedule. Writing Federer off in the past has proved dangerous.

He returned from a six-month injury lay-off to claim the Australian Open in 2017, winning his eighth Wimbledon crown later that year.

But he will be 40 in 2021 and is now heading into uncharted territory.

Despite his groaning trophy cabinet, there are two factors that will motivate Federer to keep going — the risk of losing his grip on the men's Grand Slam title record and a missing Olympics singles gold medal.

Rafael Nadal has 19 majors, just one shy of Federer's mark and Djokovic has 17.

Spain's Nadal will be fancied to draw level with Federer at the French Open, rescheduled for September, while few would bet against Djokovic winning in New York weeks earlier.

In April, Federer said he was “devastated” when Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II. Last year he fell agonisingly short at the All England Club, failing to convert two championship points on his own serve against Djokovic.

The Wimbledon grass probably remains his best chance of adding to his Grand Slam collection — he has not won the US Open since 2008 and his only title at Roland Garros came in 2009.

Even though Federer has slipped from the very pinnacle of the game, he is still a major threat to Nadal and Djokovic.

'Golden' ambitions

Last year, the world number four had a 53-10 win-loss record and he reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January in his only tournament this year.

Federer, who is still six ATP titles short of Jimmy Connors' all-time record of 109, has one glaring omission from his CV — the Olympic title.

The Swiss won doubles gold in Beijing in 2008 with compatriot Stan Wawrinka but lost in the singles final to Andy Murray in London four years later.

The postponed Tokyo Games will almost certainly be Federer's last opportunity to complete a career “golden” Grand Slam — he will turn 40 on the day of the closing ceremony next year.

Tennis will feel the loss of the elegant Federer keenly when he walks off the court for the last time.

Djokovic and Nadal have been the dominant forces in recent years but the Swiss remains the biggest draw and last month topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-earning athletes.

His last appearance on court was in front of nearly 52,000 fans — touted by organisers as a world record for tennis — at a charity match against Nadal in Cape Town in February.

Federer is nearly always the crowd favourite wherever he plays and has proved a perfect ambassador for the sport since he won his first Grand Slam title in 2003.

He certainly expects to be back and competitive next year.

“I will be missing my fans and the tour dearly but I will look forward to seeing everyone back on tour at the start of the 2021 season,” he tweeted.

The avalanche of support from his adoring fans showed they would miss him too, but they will have to get used to a time when he is gone for good.

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