Spanish Ex-Soccer Professional’s Outlandish Tennis Rule Proposal Sparks Debate because the Legend Pushes for a Radical Change

How can tennis be extra enticing to followers worldwide? Nicely, like directors of the game, the previous Spanish soccer participant Gerard Pique can be in search of a solution. Keep in mind how just a few years in the past, he stirred a little bit of an issue by taking on the group of the 125-year-old event (Davis Cup) via his firm, Kosmos Holding, and remodeling the occasion? The revamped Davis Cup format confronted a number of backlash again then. The previous Barcelona defender is within the headlines as soon as once more, advocating transformative adjustments within the guidelines of the game now. What precisely is he saying, although?

Talking about his love for tennis, Gerard Pique as soon as revealed he was simply 8 years outdated when his father first took him to Barcelona’s celebrated Actual Membership to observe the annual skilled event. He mentioned, “My father is a member of the Actual Membership; I’ve been going there since I used to be a child. I used to observe Carlos Moya, Albert Costa, Alberto Berasategui, Carlos Costa. I at all times cherished soccer, however tennis has been my ardour as properly.” So, that’s how his love for tennis grew.

In response to Pique, who received the World Cup with Spain in 2010, soccer is the most important sport in his nation, however tennis and basketball share the second place. Pique himself is usually seen enjoying tennis with the members of the Kosmos workers. Maybe, after fulfilling his desires in soccer, he has unfinished enterprise within the racket sport.

Just lately, he appeared as a visitor within the podcast (Bajo Los Palos) hosted by the previous goalkeeper and fellow World Cup winner Iker Casillas, the place he criticized a number of points of tennis. He even mentioned that he made quite a few makes an attempt to vary tennis guidelines. “We’ve got tried to vary sure issues, however there’s no means. The ITF doesn’t wish to change something. Why serve twice in tennis? It provides an additional 30 seconds of a participant bouncing the ball. Individuals don’t wish to see that. Nor do they wish to watch a sport that stretches out with deuce-advantage-deuce-advantage. We should always implement a golden level at 40-40.“

Persevering with additional, he added, “Tennis must evolve to adapt to the present velocity and entice these younger people who find themselves tempted to observe a number of different issues like HBO or Netflix.” Just lately, pickleball, one other sport much like tennis, has witnessed huge progress within the US. Padel sport was primarily a sport for Spaniards and Argentinians earlier, however now it has turn into one of many fastest-growing sports activities in America.

What does Gerard Pique must say about this? “All statistics present that fewer and fewer individuals are enjoying tennis, whereas padel and pickleball are on the rise. Why? For a lot of causes. In golf equipment, you’ll be able to match two padel courts within the area of 1 tennis court docket. Padel is extra satisfying, even when there’s a ability hole between gamers, whereas in tennis, that may be a significant subject. For those who don’t discover a technique to reignite enthusiasm, you’ll step by step lose spectators,“ mentioned the soccer star.

Nevertheless, in line with a latest report printed by the USTA, tennis participation in America has grown to 25.7 million. Curiously, that is the fifth consecutive yr of progress! However Pique feels tennis shouldn’t cling to the foundations and should adapt itself to the tempo at which different sports activities are evolving.

Pique’s intentions to revamp tennis guidelines have typically confronted extreme criticism from the tennis greats. Who all have opposed his thought?

When Gerard Pique’s Davis Cup thought irked tennis legend, Roger Federer

In 2018, the ITF signed a 25-year partnership with Gerard Piques’s firm, Kosmos Holding. It promised to revitalize probably the most prestigious occasion in tennis – Davis Cup, making it extra enticing for the followers and even for the gamers. Kosmos had then pledged to speculate round $3 billion in tennis throughout the 25-year partnership. Talking about this formidable venture, Pique as soon as mentioned, “I need Davis Cup to be a celebration round tennis, not simply tennis.“

Nevertheless, tennis legends like Boris Becker and Leyton Hewitt got here up with robust reactions. Becker posted on X, “Misplaced for phrases,” whereas Hewitt mentioned, “It’s unhappy {that a} group of officers bury the custom of the Davis Cup. The Davis Cup in its type everyone knows won’t ever occur once more, and 118 years are sacrificed for the greed of people that haven’t any respect for historical past and custom.“

Pique instructed that the Davis Cup finals be performed in September after the US Open as a substitute of November. However Roger Federer didn’t look too pleased as he mentioned, “I haven’t spoken to Gerard Pique but, however I admit that it’s a bit odd to see a footballer arrive and meddle within the tennis enterprise. Watch out: the Davis Cup shouldn’t turn into the Piqué Cup.” 

Pique responded, saying, “They’ve the Laver Cup and may see Davis as a competitor of their competitors. I don’t know if at some point Federer will play in Davis…” Later, in 2023, ITF ended its partnership with Kosmos.

What are your ideas on Pique’s solutions about altering the tennis guidelines?