Alexander Zverev, Yannick Noah, and Brad Gilbert Critique Davis Cup Format

The Davis Cup underwent major changes last year that are still being criticized by major ATP players. The tournament initially had a home-and-away format that was replaced by two-day, home-and-away qualifying rounds followed by a centralized knockout tournament in a neutral location.

The seven remaining nations from the September qualifiers will now decide this year’s winner in Bologna, Italy, in late November. The Davis Cup has also shifted from a best-of-five format, which all Grand Slam men’s singles tournaments use, to a shorter best-of-three format.

Zverev’s Post-Qualifier Complaints

Alexander Zverev has been the most prominent critic of the new Davis Cup format, and he made his thoughts known right after helping Germany make the Final Eight. His team had just defeated Croatia at the venue in Halle, and the ATP No. 2 player said that the November crowd could not match the energy of playing on home turf.

"I hope that the Davis Cup decision-makers will eventually wake up and see what the real Davis Cup is. Because this weekend was the real Cup," Zverev said. "What we're playing in Bologna is absolute rubbish. I hope we return to the old format."

Noah’s Laver Cup Rant

Three-time Davis Cup champion Yannick Noah has repeatedly criticized the Davis Cup, and his most recent comments were actually made at the Federer-founded Laver Cup. “This is not the real Davis Cup,” he repeatedly said. “I find it hard to talk about the Davis Cup these days, after having experienced the real Davis Cup. For me, this is not the real Davis Cup.”

“From the very beginning, I was against this format,” Noah continued. “I don’t recognize the spirit of the Davis Cup. I don’t recognize the spirit of the competition … It’s true that back then, some players considered the schedule too demanding and didn’t play. But it was something entirely different. As a spectator today, I find it hard to get interested in this competition.”

Gilbert’s Podcast Comments

During a recent episode of The Big T podcast, coach and former player Brad Gilbert also weighed in with his criticisms, saying, “I think this every year competition should be every other year. It should be the greatness of home and away ties. You saw what it was like in Czechia or in Germany. That is the way that [the] Davis Cup is meant to be.”

“It should not be this year-end final thing in Bologna,” he continued. “It should be every other year, and you play the quarters, semis, and finals. And the men go back to play best of five. That is when real men were playing it.”

Players Choosing the Laver Cup

Because the Laver Cup is often less than a week (five days this year) away from the Davis Cup, some of the top men’s players are forced to choose. Carlos Alcaraz this year opted to only go to the Laver Cup, while Ben Shelton made the opposite choice. Zverev, Jakub Mensik, and Learner Tien made the difficult decision to make both tournaments work despite the increasingly long ATP calendar.

On their podcast, Nothing Major, former tennis players John Isner, Sam Querrey, and Steve Johnson complained that the Davis Cup schedule discourages top-ranked players from participating. They cited past instances where Alcaraz and his rival Jannik Sinner have opted to skip so that they can rest or recover from late-season injuries. Although the 2026 tournament is set, perhaps tournament organizers will make some much-requested changes in the future.

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