Djokovic’s and Alcaraz’s commitment masked empty stands in a time of upheaval

There are countless reasons why it has come to this, but mainly it is down to the direction the competition has taken in recent years. For much of its history, the domestic element of the competition was what drove it forward. Players competed for their nations in a boiling atmosphere, which made the whole experience much more enjoyable for everyone.

Call it what you like, but most people feel a sense of belonging to a country, a nation, a culture, and when you bring out those emotions in a competitive environment like professional sport, it can cause tumult. That hasn’t been the case recently because the new format that was introduced a few years ago took that character out of the competition, at least at the highest level. In the lower divisions, there is still that home-and-away format, which still creates that typical atmosphere.

However, in the top division, there are groups where one of the teams is the host country and the others also have to play in places where there are hardly any fans. Take the example of this year’s Davis Cup, where the match between Canada and Argentina was played in Manchester and only about 100 spectators showed up. This is not a good picture for a competition that prides itself on having one of the best attendances. If the match had been played in Toronto or Buenos Aires, the stands would have been full, especially if it had been played in Argentina.

As expected, this new format is not being embraced by the players. Almost none of them have spoken out in favor of it, and some of them have even been very vocal in their criticism. Stan Wawrinka has been scathing about the event because he had to play the Swiss matches in the UK in front of barely any fans. This is not what he remembers from the old format, where he played alongside Roger Federer in front of packed stands.

It’s a shadow of its former glory, which is a shame, because it was one of the most iconic events we’ve had in tennis. But it’s not all doom and gloom, because the competition is still prestigious in people’s minds. A number of players taking it seriously in recent years have certainly contributed to that. Most notably Novak Djokovic, who has led Serbia to a Davis Cup trophy in the past but has always taken the competition seriously.

Even at this stage of his career, when he basically only plays Grand Slams and some other major events, the Serb is not afraid to play the Davis Cup. For him, the Davis Cup is still one of the most important tournaments, simply because of the patriotic nature. Tennis players don’t often get the opportunity to play under a national banner. When they compete as a player, they also represent their country, but it doesn’t have that national character. At the Olympics, that’s the case, and we saw earlier this year how important that was for Djokovic, who ended up going all the way and winning gold for Serbia.

This week he is in action at the Davis Cup, playing for his country again. The fact that he has taken the competition as seriously as he has in recent years has certainly not gone unnoticed by some of his colleagues. We have seen some of the younger players playing for their country as well, and that is just part of it. Even though the format is pretty lackluster overall, these players see that some of their childhood heroes are still competing, and that is what they want to do. They sense that the prestige of the event shines through, and that is what could ultimately save it.

Those in charge of the competition have been clamoring to change course and return the competition to what it once was. While these are noble calls and many, including fans and players, would support this, it seems that those in charge are not really interested in doing so. At least there are no signs that the format will change any time soon, which is a great shame. But some of these players, taking the competition as seriously as they have in the past, could be crucial in saving it and making it what it was for much of its history.

Of crucial importance to this endeavor is the burgeoning rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Many analysts believe that these two are the most likely to lead tennis over the next decade. While the future is uncertain and we don’t know if another player will step in, similar to how Novak Djokovic disrupted the rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, it is widely accepted that these two will be good for many years to come and are likely to perform similarly to what they have done this year. The four Grand Slam tournaments this year were won by them: Alcaraz triumphed at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Sinner won the Australian Open and the US Open. 2024 could prove to be the first year they start to wear.