Gerard Pique’s Davis Cup Idea Irked Roger Federer So Much That He Slammed the Footballer for ‘Meddling in the Tennis Business’

Published 08/23/2022, 9:10 AM EDT

Every sport has a player who, over time, becomes the face of the sport. For tennis, it has clearly been Roger Federer. Ever since his debut in 1998, the Swiss master has continuously given glimpses of his tennis excellence. With his vast game experience in place, the 20-time Grand Slam champion has stepped up and now holds the power to comment on the functioning of events.

Going back in time to 2018, the ITF made headlines for changing the format of the historical tennis tournament, the Davis Cup. While many came out in favor of the changes, a large section of the tennis world showed their disapproval for the same. However, what overshadowed the debate was Roger Federer’s reaction to Gerard Piqué’s suggestions on the functioning of the Davis Cup.

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Roger Federer calls out Gerard Piqué for his suggestions

In 2018, Davis Cup tied up with an investment company backed up by Piqué to make changes to its format. While the agenda of the partnership was to only focus on the format change, Piqué opted to go a step further. As a part of the investment company, the Barcelona player suggested the Davis Cup finals be played in September after the US Open instead of November.

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Gerard gave his suggestion. However, little did he know the change being talked about would hamper the proceedings of two other events. The Laver Cup, and then soon to be inaugurated, ATP Cup.

Learning about Pique’s suggestions, Federer opted to express himself. Playing at the 2018 US Open, Federer started by pointing out the positive side of the situation. “The good part of all this confusion is that everyone will have to sit around one table and listen to the other’s desires: the ITF, the ATP, the Laver Cup. It is true that the coming weeks may be very interesting,” he said.

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Going ahead, he opted to show his disapproval of Piqué’s suggestion. Slamming the Spanish centre-back, he said, “I haven’t spoken to Gerard Pique yet, but I admit that it’s a bit odd to see a footballer arrive and meddle in the tennis business. Be careful: the Davis Cup should not become the Piqué Cup.”

This wasn’t it. Taking a further dig at Piqué, Federer added, “I am globally for innovations. Our sport needs to think a little outside the box to innovate. But it’s a bit like in a game of Jenga: you have to be careful not to remove the piece that will bring down the whole building.”

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Is it right to let sports stars from one sport interrupt in another sport? Was Federer’s reaction justified? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Ahmar Wasif is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. He is a national level tennis player and has a number of titles to his name. His experience on the court allows him to incorporate a deeper understanding in his coverage of the sport.

Edited by:

Sreeda U M

Gerard Pique’s Davis Cup Idea Irked Roger Federer So Much That He Slammed the Footballer for ‘Meddling in the Tennis Business’

Roger Federer calls out Gerard Piqué for his suggestions

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