Former Barcelona soccer participant Gerard Pique’s funding group Kosmos has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit in opposition to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for ending their partnership to organise the Davis Cup.
Kosmos, which is chaired by Pique, filed a go well with on the Court of Arbitration for Sport blaming the ITF for an “unjustified termination of the contract between both parties for the organization of the Davis Cup for 25 years, and for damages to the company”.
The ITF earlier this month mentioned it ended its Davis Cup partnership with Kosmos, with out offering particulars for the explanations behind the choice.
It mentioned it’ll run this yr’s Davis Cup by itself.
Spanish media mentioned the ITF was additionally contemplating authorized motion in opposition to Kosmos for allegedly not assembly the funds that had been agreed between the events.
The ITF reached a 25-year partnership with Kosmos in 2018, when a brand new Davis Cup format was launched in an effort to revitalise probably the most prestigious group occasion in tennis and make it extra profitable.
Pique, who ended his enjoying profession in November, grew to become the general public face for Kosmos and had pledged the group would make investments $US3 billion ($A4.2 billion) in tennis throughout the 25-year partnership.
The new Davis Cup format means the event is now contested over one week in a World Cup-style format.
It was beforehand performed with head-to-head confrontations over 4 weekends all year long.
Australian world No.148 John Millman mirrored widespread public sentiment when the break up was introduced by the ITF, urging the governing physique to “give tennis back to the people” and alter the format from 2024.
“ITF has an opportunity to reignite one of sport’s oldest team competitions,” he tweeted.
“Change the format, find a compromise with players schedules, bring back more home and away ties (especially in latter stages). The sport will always be for the fans.”
