Davis Cup, BJK Cup, Laver Cup: what's next?

LAVER CUP
Berlin, the place to be?

Roger Federer’s Laver Cup is still going strong after seven years. What its future will be remains unclear in a tennis calendar that’s getting too packed for everybody’s liking, but one can trust Federer to be already preparing for what’s next. I still think they should get the women in, by the way. “Being a player myself and also an organizer and trying to come up with a concept — it was quite the trip,” said Federer in Berlin. “It’s like a brotherhood getting together, paying tribute to the past generation, bringing in the new generation, and then morphing it together Ryder Cup-style and coming up with a concept that would work throughout a weekend.”

In the meantime, Team Europe and Team World are in Berlin to face off in what the Laver Cup hopes is increasingly giving a Ryder Cup vibe. The cast is solid but has been hampered by Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal. Every opportunity missed to see Fedal is a hole in the schedule, the hearts of the fans… and the business plan.

Berlin 2024 will be a special edition as it marks the end of Björn Borg and John McEnroe's tenures as captains. They will be replaced next year by Yannick Noah and Andre Agassi, who should bring way different kind of energies all around! “I am always going to be grateful, always going to be thankful for Borg and McEnroe’s belief and participation. They were there when we needed them the most to start something special. I hope John and Bjorn will always come back as friends of the Laver Cup and as inaugural captains, and they should always be celebrated because they’re legends of our sport,” said Federer in Berlin.

In an interview with Front Office Sports*, Patrick McEnroes (vice-captain of Team World) gave his thoughts about the Laver Cup really, or not, being more than an exhibition. “A lot of people have come up to me over the years and say, ‘It’s an exhibition,’ or ‘The players don’t take it seriously.’ That could not be farther from the truth. The players take a tremendous amount of pride. (…) The more team events you can have that have a meaning to it … they help grow the game. But that’s like a pie in the sky because to get the different organizing bodies together to agree on these things is what’s always proved to be challenging in professional tennis. (…) They’ve been talking about the schedule in tennis for like 50 years. Let me let you in on a little secret—nothing really significant is going to change.”

It’s tough to imagine the Laver Cup getting the amount of coverage and interests it still has now if Roger Federer wasn’t not only being involved but also not coming every year to represent the whole thing. It’s the tricky thing: the Laver Cup’s success is not only hugely dependent on the cast of players but also on Roger Federer remaining the face of it. The day the event will be called a fixture of the calendar and a success would surely be the day the Laver Cup, on its own, matters so much more than who’s playing or who owns it.

BJK CUP / DAVIS CUP
What’s next? Good question!

The Times They Are a-Changin'. The BJK Cup announced its roaster for the Finals in November in Malaga, as we’ve barely been done with the Davis Cup qualifications. The stage is then set for the Grand Final, and this 2024 edition might mark another turnaround in the history of these competitions. Which one? We’re not exactly sure.

But first things first, who’s coming to the BJK Cup Finals in Malaga (November 13-20)? Not Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff. Or Barbora Krejcikova. Why? Because tennis is so gifted to destroy its calendar. So, Swiatek decided to pass on the BJK Cup Finals because she has already qualified for the WTA Finals that will be played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 9. It’s too big of an effort at the end of the year instead of getting more off-season time. Gauff should also be in Riyadh and could even be joined by Emma Navarro (who is also out of the USA squad). Krejcikova? She is eligible for the Finals as she won a Grand Slam this year (Wimbledon). So here you go, tennis, already making sure to be deprived of some of your biggest names for what you’re branding as a World Championship. Jessica Pegula seems to be - for now - the one to try to win it all as she’s announced in the US Team despite also being on her way to qualifying for Riyadh.

Naomi Osaka will headline the Japanese team, though, as well as Paula Badosa for Spain and Jasmine Paolini for Italy. Canada will come with Leylah Fernandez and Bianca Andreescu. Emma Raducanu is in Great Britain’s squad for now, and the Czech team is as strong as usual with Karolina Muchova, Linda Noskova or Katerina Siniakova. Still, couldn’t tennis make sure not to attack its own events by, like, just planning better?

Talking about better planning and changing times, it could be the last year in Malaga for both the BJK Cup and the Davis Cup. There’s still no official announcement of the host for 2025, and there’s a growing rumor that the Davis Cup could go to China in 2026 or sooner. As for the BJK Cup Finals in 2025? It’s everyone’s guess. Surprises seem to be on the way all around, like when we learned a few weeks ago that the BJK Cup Finals were sent from Seville to Malaga, overlapping with the Davis Cup Finals. Tennis, always keeping you in the dark on your toes.

By the way, as of today, we also know who will face whom during the Davis Cup Final 8: Italy vs. Argentina, USA vs. Australia, Germany vs. Canada, and Netherlands vs. Spain.

QUESTION OF THE DAY 
Have a look, or not?

You were 83,33% to say Novak Djokovic would play again on Tour this season, despite it all.

MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO 
Game Over

I already told you how tired the tennis bodies were, but it’s already the breaking point for some. Bad news came back to back for the WTA Tour as both Ons Jabeur and Elina Svitolina called it quits on their 2024 season. The Ukrainian had to undergo right foot surgery to fix a recurring issue, while the Tunisian couldn’t find a way to convince that shoulder to get going.

Following her loss in the third round at Wimbledon (against Svitolina), Jabeur (#22) only played two matches (in Washington and Toronto). "This year has been extremely hard for me,” said Jabeur on social media, adding that she had plans while on the sideline. "While I'm taking time to heal, I'll be dedicating myself to charity work and ensuring that we make a real difference in the world."

Svitolina (#28) pushed as much as she could to play a full schedule until losing in the third round of the US Open in three sets against Coco Gauff. She then decided it was time to deal with that foot. “This is the same issue that ended my season in 2023 and has hampered me for most of 2024. It’s become harder to manage and has been impacting me more and more, not just with regard to tennis and training but in my everyday life too. I am excited for the opportunity to focus on my recovery and come back even stronger than before. I am determined to do whatever it takes to get back on the court and compete at the highest level,” Svitolina shared on Instagram.

Both had no chance to qualify for the WTA Finals so it makes sense to stop now to avoid hampering their 2025 season. Professional sports, it often hurts.

SOME BREAK POINTS… 
Split season still going strong

• It keeps going! After Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina parting ways with their coach, here comes Coco Gauff. Not gonna lie, I - and many - saw that one coming from the moon. Gauff’s loss at the US Open in the fourth round looked like the last drop in her coaching relationship with Brad Gilbert. A year after helping her win the WTA 1000 of Cincinnati and, more importantly, her first Grand Slam title in NYC, Gilbert is no longer “Team Coco,” as they both announced on social media.
  
  “Coco, at just 20 years young, your future is incredibly bright, and I wish you nothing but continued success ahead. I’m excited for the next chapter in my coaching career,” said Gilbert on social media. Tension seemed already in the air at Wimbledon when Gauff looked frustrated at the coaching happening, or not happening, during her loss to Navarro (again) in the fourth round. French coach Jean-Christophe Faurel, who returned to the team in April, still seems to remain there.
  

• Billie Jean King makes history (as she often does): She will become “the first individual women's athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal,” reported ESPN. “Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey announced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had passed the House of Representatives and would be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature. The bill to honor King, the tennis Hall of Famer and activist, had already passed unanimously in the Senate. Sherrill, a Democrat, said in a statement that King's "lifetime of advocacy and hard work changed the landscape for women and girls on the court, in the classroom, and the workplace." The bill was introduced in September 2023 on the 50th anniversary of King's victory over Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes," still the most-watched tennis match of all time.”
  

• The new WTA council has been revealed and here are the players who got elected: Victoria Azarenka (Top 20 member), Caroline Garcia (Top 20 member), Jessica Pegula (Top 20 member), Maria Sakkari (Top 20 member), Donna Vekic (21-50 member), Daria Saville (51-100 member), Gabriela Dabrowski (21+ and doubles-only representative), Ellen Perez (101+ and doubles-only representative).
  

• The United Cup already has some cast members. Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari, China’s Zheng Qinwen, and Norway’s Casper Ruud have all committed early to the 2025 edition (from Friday 27 December to Sunday 5 January). The draw will be held on Monday, 21 October.
  

• That was a long one! Laura Siegemund and Wang Xiyu played the first Tour-level match to last over four hours since 2011 during their second round at the Thailand Open. Siegmund won in three sets (7-6(3) 4-6 7-6(1)) and in 4 hours and 9 minutes in Hua Hin.
  

• Tennis has lost another of its legendary coaches. After the death of Peter Lundgren, it’s Robert Lansdorp (85) that we’re mourning. Lansdorp coached some of the greatest names in the game, like Tracy Austin, Pete Sampras, Lindsay Davenport, and Maria Sharapova. He built all of them the same weapon: unique striking skills.
  

• Iga Swiatek is using her voice (as often) to collect help for the areas of Poland affected by the flood. The World No.1 took to her social media to support the people affected by the horrific flood in the region and help collect funds. “What we can do to help, even if we’re not there, is to participate in verified financial or material donation drives, according to our ability,” she wrote while adding a helpful link. “My thoughts are with everyone impacted by the flood, as well as the rescue teams and organizations providing aid. You are not alone,” she added.
  

• Battaglino remains suspended for four years, for the same substance involved in Jannik Sinner’s case. “The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed an appeal from Italian tennis player Stefano Battaglino against a Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) sanction imposed in October 2023,” announced the ITIA. Battaglino, ranked at best #760 in July 2022, tested positive for “the prohibited substance clostebol and its metabolites following an in-competition test in September 2022”. The CAS tribunal determined that “Battaglino did not prove the source of the positive test, and that the arguments provided were “manifestly insufficient” to prove that the Anti-Doping Rule Violation was unintentional.” And so he won’t be able to play until the 31st of January 2027. The difference between his and Sinner’s case is that the World No.1 proved the source of the contamination he claimed had caused the positive test and won all of his appeals and trials. Four years on one side, nothing on the other. The AMA has still not announced whether they will appeal Sinner’s decision.

PLAY HARD, TRAIN HARD, DRESS THE PART 
Sir Andrew, new edition

It’s not a tennis racquet, so obviously, it’s not the same, but what do we think of Andy Murray’s look on the green here? He seems to be enjoying himself! I’m still saying the Big 4 will find a way to throw a reunion on the golf course. Murray has already found a coach, or kind of, as Rory McIlroy seemed to be quite interested in his swing there. Murray gave his first impression right after, saying nerves got to his body and demonstrating again that you’ll never take the competitor out of this Scottish body.

EDITOR’S PICKS 

You can find other picks here, including my go-to newsletters for anything tech*, anything backstage* or professional sports*, and the one for everything NIL*. If you’re a solopreneur, you might like this one, by the way. I also have a sweet spot for The Creator Spotlight*, which provides examples of other creators’ journeys.

READ: Björn Borg rarely speaks, so it’s always worth a look when he does. Here, he gave an interview to the NYT ahead of his last Laver Cup as captain. “Chris (Evert) is a very good friend. We started something together. We were two big stars. We lifted tennis to a different level. I’m very happy and proud to have done that. Then the ones that came after us lifted it more. Federer, Nadal, Novak, the Williams sisters. But we were there at the beginning.”

WATCH: If you’ve been here since the start, you might remember we talked about how the best athletes might not see the world like the rest of us. A study said they were seeing more images per second than others. You might then be interested in watching this video, as the concept is making a comeback in the training of aspiring athletes. It’s about “the quiet eye”, explaining that the best athletes might see things for a more extended period than others (62% longer), like tennis players being able to focus longer on that ball.

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