Feliciano Lopez believes in the Davis Cup format
No Davis Cup final tournament this year - veteran Feliciano Lopez is nevertheless convinced that the format has a future.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Dec 13, 2020, 11:44 am
Roger Federer is not the only 39-year-old who wants to chase the title on the ATP tour again next year: Feliciano Lopez, the great Spanish esthete, also has some plans. Only a few weeks ago, at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy, Lopez demonstrated that under certain circumstances Lopez can still keep up with the world's best. Feli Rafael Nadal was on the verge of defeat.
Lopez has also been the tournament director since 2018. As such, he saw the effects of the corona pandemic firsthand in Madrid. "I am aware that the tournaments need the help of the sponsors", Lopez explained in an interview with the newspaper Corriere della Sera. “Governments support those people who are in the most trouble. It's been a very tough year because of the pandemic, but we have to accept the reality. "
Lopez wins the Davis Cup with Spain
The Davis Cup final tournament in Madrid also fell victim to the difficult circumstances. In 2019 the Spanish team won the title with Feliciano Lopez. “This triumph was very special for me and all of us. I felt it was a great honor to be part of the team at the age of 38 and to help my comrades win the title. In Madrid and on a system that I know very well. And then with the death of Roberto Bautista-Agut's father, we also had to deal with a sad and difficult situation. It was incredible how he came back after the funeral to play the final and also beat Félix Auger-Aliassime . "
The new experimental setup in the Davis Cup, according to which the winner is determined in tournament form, which has not met with approval from all tennis fans and players, is difficult for Feliciano Lopez. “I believe strongly in the new format. When the ITF announced this, I thought it was the right decision. The Davis Cup matches must be best-of-three. Of course there are always things that have to be improved. But I am sure that it will be worked on. "
Due to the introduction of the new ATP Cup, the Davis Cup has grown into dangerous competition. The years to come will show who will hold their own in the long term - or whether the ATP and Davis Cup will merge. Should there be the second edition of the final tournament in the Caja Magical in Madrid in 2021, then there would be at least one highly interesting group with Austria, Germany and Serbia.