The Davis Cup is all set to move to Abu Dhabi for five years which will further push it late into the year. Tricky scheduling Playing the Davis Cup deep into November and December isn't ideal for most top-ranked tennis players. As per a $3 billion (£2.25 billion) deal signed between The ITF and Kosmos Tennis, founded by Spanish footballer Gerard Pique in relation to a partnership for 25 years of tournament staging, Davis Cup is all set for a rejig. The decision has led to mixed opinions from various quarters. The likes of Novak Djokovic have been criticised for giving contradicting opinions on the subject. Djokovic vs Leon Smith Djokovic reckons that the new multi-city format works for him as he believes that the Davis Cup should be experienced by more people. He is in favour of this year’s format and wants more countries to host the group ties. Great Britain Davis Cup team captain Leon Smith has said that the move is not ideal. "Well, I think that's what's being discussed, isn't it? Looking forward to what's happening when things start to get announced in the near future about what happens with this competition next year. I understand that things had to change, and between the ITF (International Tennis Federation) and Kosmos they’re still trying to find what’s going to work best, but I think there’s got to be an open dialogue about what happens next in this and still trying to find a solution to make sure this remains one of the most important things in the calendar," Smith said. "For someone like myself, I’m hearing that some things might be happening next year, but I’m only hearing it second hand. If it’s true what potentially might be happening, I think it would be good to be able to talk about it before any decisions are made. There’s so many good people working for ITF, Kosmos, everyone wants it to be great, I would just like us to speak a bit more before any final decisions happen." Clash with 2022 football World Cup For a majority of players, it falls too late in the piece, which either messes with their schedule or finds them exhausted at the end of the year and not in the best physical and mental shape to give it their all in a competition as important as the Davis Cup. Moreover, a possible clash with the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar is also on the cards.
