THE Davis Cup is facing shock calls for a major format change to the 125-year-old tournament.
The major tennis event was first held in 1900 and is now the world’s largest annual international team competition in sport.
Over 150 nations have entered into the Davis Cup this year, with the final set for November 23.
The quarter-finals are the next round to take place, with Italy facing Austria and France taking on Belgium.
Spain will take on Croatia, and Argentina will play Germany in the remaining two ties.
Despite the nations left in the tournament, stars such as Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz are both absent due to injury.
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Only Germany’s Alexander Zverev is left in the tournament, who is ranked in the top-10 in the world.
It has been suggested that the tournament halt being an annual event and instead be played once every two years.
Alcaraz and Sinner have both suggested they would be in favour of the change.
International Tennis Federation (ITF) chief executive Ross Hutchins has insisted he will speak to the top players in order to encourage their participation.
He told the BBC: “The history of this event is a very, very popular team competition which has been – consistently across the last 125 years – a yearly event.
“We have a three-year deal in Bologna, which we are very excited about.
“Malaga worked very well the last few years as a season-end product – top players playing, amazing narratives.
“So the question is, what’s right moving forward?
“I do have very close relations with the top players and the governing bodies, so I’m going to be having discussions about their points of view.
“We know what’s been written, and what’s been said, so inevitably I will have those conversations and we can take it from there.”
Many top stars opt out of the tournament as it is in the last major of the season.
By skipping the event it allows them more rest and recuperation time before the next season begins.
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