In 2017, the viewership numbers were catastrophic": Giudicelli, former president of the FFT, reveals the trigger for the Davis Cup reform

Long silent, Bernard Giudicelli is stepping out of the shadows on the eve of France-Belgium. The former president of the FFT is directly addressing the controversy surrounding the Davis Cup reform, mentioning plummeting viewership, sponsor pressure, and decisions made "to avoid a shipwreck."

President of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) from 2017 to 2021, Bernard Giudicelli has since kept a low profile in the media sphere. The former leader of French tennis had a complicated term, being considered one of the instigators of the Davis Cup reform, which was voted on in 2018.

On the eve of the finals phase beginning in Bologna and the quarter-final pitting France against Belgium, Giudicelli gave an interview to Tennis Actu. He notably responds to the criticism about the change in the competition's format:

"In 2017, the viewership numbers were catastrophic. The decline had started as early as 2007; the arrival of the iPhone had changed digital consumption. The Davis Cup was becoming a niche event globally.

The title sponsor at the time (BNP Paribas) contractually demanded the presence of top players, something impossible to guarantee with independent athletes. We saw Kosmos as a lifebuoy to avoid financial collapse. The ITF remained the owner of the competition, management was delegated with safeguards.

The deal did not materialize for reasons covered by business secrecy, the ITF took back control and the competition has regained health, as shown by the participation of the best players. The product is not yet finished: we must continue to work on it. [...]

(The detractors) understood nothing. The Davis Cup does not have a soul, it has an identity: a trophy that rewards the best nation in the world. It has evolved several times, notably towards professionalism and the creation of the World Group in 1991.

When you are elected to the ITF, you act in the global interest, not for your nation of origin. In 2018, the ITF General Assembly in Orlando adopted the reform with 74%: nothing was sold. In France, the attachment to certain atmospheres is strong, but we couldn't be selfish."

The 67-year-old man also commented on the current format, while reminding that a return to the past is impossible:

"There is progress: the return of a home week in September recreates a connection. But we lost a week in the calendar, and a week of global tennis is very valuable. Ideally, we need to recover a fourth week and finishing with a Final 4 would avoid certain scheduling issues. A return to the full home-and-away format? Buried.