DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 23, 2025

David Haggerty

Angelo Binaghi

Ross Hutchins

Feliciano Lopez

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming to the Final Day press conference. We have a few speakers here. David Haggerty, ITF president; Angelo Binaghi, FITP president; Ross Hutchins, chief executive of the ITF; and Feliciano Lopez, Davis Cup Final 8 tournament director.

I will kick off with a question for each of our speakers.

Dave, it's 125 years of Davis Cup this year. Only the second time that Italy have hosted the Finals. How has your week been? How pleased have you been with how things have gone?

DAVID HAGGERTY: It's been a great week here in Bologna. I think we're building on the success we had in Malaga. I have to say it's been an amazing, incredible week. We'd like to thank the FITP and the ITF team for working together in such a collaborative way.

On the court it's been great to see the matches that we've had. Very exciting ties. Over 90% capacity during the week. Very happy. Also very happy for Italy to be hosting for the next three years. But most importantly this will be the second tie at home in the history of the Finals. It's really exciting. Best luck to both of the teams.

The other thing I'd like to say is we made a transition this year to the group stages being home and away, which has been well received by the players.

The Final 8 is really the backbone and kind of the emphasis and the highlight of the season. We've enjoyed our first year here in Bologna. Looking forward to coming back the next couple of years.

Angelo, thank you.

THE MODERATOR: President Binaghi, how pleased are you with this week? What do you hope is going to be the national impact of hosting such a prestigious Davis Cup event here?

ANGELO BINAGHI: (Through translation) We are very happy and delighted to have built and delivered such an event here in this particular time of Italian tennis.

The experience made in Turin during the last year suggests to us that this is the right one. There is still room for improvements that we are going to focus on in the next days.

For us, delivering such a big event is a big honor. We're looking forward to doing this the next years.

THE MODERATOR: Ross, as a former player yourself, can you tell us why this competition is so unique and what it means to be part of a team wearing national colors.

ROSS HUTCHINS: Good afternoon, everyone.

So personally, whether it was myself playing before or Feli and other people playing before, what we see here in Bologna, it is very special. So much emotion, so much history. It's our most prestigious competition in tennis. The team element is so special.

It's just an honor to think back, but it's more of an honor to be part of this competition here. It just drives so much emotion from the athletes and brings in the national pride as such a strong team competition.

I think it's something that we value very highly, something that with the partnership with President Binaghi and the FITP team, we've been able to showcase that here, something that we value so highly.

THE MODERATOR: Feli, your third year as tournament director. What have you made of this week and the action on and off court?

FELICIANO LOPEZ: First of all I'd like to thank the Italian Tennis Federation, Giorgio, Paolo, Angelo. They're all here with us. It's been amazing work.

The feedback from players, captains, federations, it's really good. They're so happy and so grateful for everything that we've done to put such an amazing event this week in Bologna.

I think this is really the continuation of what happened in Malaga over the last three years. It's good that we come to Italy at the right moment, where the Italian tennis is really shining. They were so dominant over the last few years.

Actually, they're the defending champion, so it's going to be a great day of tennis. Spain and Italy. I can't wait to see the amazing battle today.

Thank you again. Hopefully we're going to have another two years of great tennis here in Bologna.

THE MODERATOR: We'll open the floor for questions now.

Q. I'd like to know by the president, David Haggerty, if he thinks that to express the depth of a tennis country, two singles players are enough or you should in the future, not immediately, not next year, depending on how many days you may have for the Davis Cup, if instead of being seven or eight, it could become 10 or 12, if it would be better to show the depth of a tennis team to have maybe three or four singles players instead of just two like when the Davis Cup was founded? Now things have changed. I'm not saying this because Italy now has a strong team. Just for the World Cup I think would be nice to check and see the depth of the team and see which are the best teams in the world.

DAVID HAGGERTY: Thank you very much for the question. Just a couple of things that come to mind.

We have 158 teams that compete in Davis Cup around the world, which is really important. We're able to take top-level team competition, professional tennis, to places that don't have tennis, professional tennis, in their country every day. That's one of the benefits.

With that, to make sure that we have the ability for countries to compete, the more players that you have as a requirement advantages sometimes the more established countries. We think the two singles and the one doubles, which has been the history, makes sense where we are today.

But I think as you see with our change this year to the group stage becoming the home and away, we continue to listen to the players, work with the other stakeholders. It's very important.

Something we can certainly consider. I think for where we are now, I think it makes sense up to five players that can participate, even though they're two singles and the one doubles.

Q. You talk about the Final 8 being the backbone. It's obviously an interesting talking point, the future of tennis. Some would love to go back to the old Davis Cup format. In Turin last week, Andrea Gaudenzi made the comment about the fact that he loved the old home and away. Whether it went back as a biannual event, every two years, for whatever it's worth, the Davis Cup should be every year, going the extra layer of home and away this year, it's a continued topic of discussion what it's going to look like, especially with 2028 being the moving year with the calendar. Can you shine any light on that long-term, I suppose?

FELICIANO LOPEZ: I think it's fair to say we came to this point of playing two times home and away through the year, the Final 8, after five years of conversations with players, captains, federations.

I think we are now in the right place, considering the amount of tournaments that we have throughout the year. As I said, it's a fair format considering tennis nowadays. This is my opinion.

I think we included another time another home and away tie throughout the year, which is great. That was really appreciated from players and captains and federations. This is what they wanted. They wanted to add another one throughout the year.

I think the Final 8 is a format that in Malaga was really working. I see that this is going to be the continuation. This is a very traditional tennis country, Italy, that also lives the best moment in its history. I think we are in the right place honestly.

As Dave said before, we're going to keep talking to everyone, to all the parties involved, to all the stakeholders, federations, ATP. I'm sure they're going to be joining because we need also the ATP. We need all the parties involved to succeed.

This is where we are now. Of course, open to keep talking to everyone. But I think we are in the right place at the moment.

Q. Ross, we know that you want to showcase a little bit from now on the excitement of the competition, build on the fans, the passion. Can you elaborate a little bit on your ideas for the future of Davis Cup.

ROSS HUTCHINS: Absolutely. So this event is unique. This event has so much history, so much passion. From the fan standpoint, it brings out the national pride, the patriotism.

From the player standpoint it brings out something where most weeks of the year with your small individual player team, when actually this is now taking on a whole different dimension.

When we can showcase those elements of this event is so special, why it's carried so much weight and still carries so much weight with the fans, the partners, the players, and everyone, that's what we need to continue to showcase.

I'm just delighted that what we have here in Bologna, what Giorgio and Mr. Binaghi and the team did here, is exactly that. We've been able to culminate the world of tennis at the end of the year in one place, have over 90% attendance with countries coming from around the world with high international presence of fans, and being able to showcase many sold-out sessions to get to a point where the world is watching this week. It's just a very exciting competition.

Trying to get the in-stadia fans to feel the passion has been very easy because the players and everyone has warmed to it in Bologna. Try to get the out-of-stadium fans through digital and broadcast has just been breathtaking this week.

I'm very proud. We need to keep remembering how special this competition is and keep showcasing those elements, which we from the organization of the ITF, and with the FITP, will certainly do and continue to shine that light as slightly different to the rest of the year in its unique fashion.

Q. Feli, just continuing on from what Ross was indicating, Davis Cup, you've got the passion, the crowds, the players wear their national colors, et cetera. Do you have any thoughts going forward about what else you want to do to further increase the exposure and thrills of this competition?

FELICIANO LOPEZ: I think honestly the numbers speak for themselves. I mean, the attendance, the presence everywhere in the world, TV coverage is amazing.

For us, as I said before, I think we came to a point where the competition, it's in good hands. The format is working. The players are happy. They're willing to represent their countries. We've seen probably some of the best tennis matches this year here in Bologna. The passion, it's still there.

So I don't think there's a lot of things that we can do to increase the exposure of the competition. I think the numbers speak for theirselves. The players still have the passion to compete.

Honestly, there's not much we can do. I think internationally the Davis Cup, this competition, is going to be watched in every single country in the world. I don't think there's many things that we can do more.

Of course, we're willing to improve always. This is always the will of these people here. As I said before, we're in a good moment. Willing to improve, of course.

ROSS HUTCHINS: If I may, one thing I could add.

The way the world consumes sports and entertainment in 2025 and 2026 is always changing. That's important for us as an organization, to make sure we communicate the core elements of this competition in the right way.

I think our media team, our business team and the teams around the world, the partners we work with here, the key partners that want to showcase the core of this event around the world, is going to be very important for us to make sure we communicate in the most modern, relevant way, which we've done a very good job this year.

We have the core elements that you reference, the passion, the history, the players, the nations, the patriotism. Making sure we communicate to the world that want to feel that passion and that energy is a big goal for us as the ITF organization. We'll make sure that we do the right things in that space.

DAVID HAGGERTY: To add one last thing.

Davis Cup is different to any other competition. The emotion that the players have when they play, the way they react when they win a point, when they lose a point, the way they engage with the crowds is so important. This can help us attract a new audience.

The passionate tennis fan knows about Davis Cup. There are many other people that we need to expand and grow tennis' popularity among other people that aren't necessarily playing tennis as many of the people that are in this stadium.

It's infectious. It's a great feeling of emotion. That can attract people to our sport. That's something that we can really use Davis Cup as a competition to expand.

You see what's happened here in Italy with the emotion and the great number of players that you have, how it can build the participation.

The ITF's main goal is to have 130 million people playing tennis by 2030. We're about 109 million now. We need to continue to grow, and that's by attracting new audiences and people to the sport.

I think that's something else that I would add to our vision, our ambition.

Q. Mr. President, I think that we all agree about the passion of players playing Davis Cup and fans attending Davis Cup. I guess the point is the overall frequency of the event. If the best two players in the world, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, in Turin say that they would like the competition to be once every two years, are you taking the risk to keep the competition every year and maybe not have the best two players in the world playing Davis Cup? Will you keep on going on this path or will you consider to change the frequency of the event in order to get the top players to play the Cup? In the Finals here in Bologna, we have only one top player playing the Davis Cup, which is not good for the event. What do you think to do about that in the future, next future or in few years?

DAVID HAGGERTY: Maybe if I start and I think Ross and Feli may want to come in, as well.

Davis Cup has been, is and always will be, a team competition. It's representing your nation and playing for your country.

I politely disagree. I think I've seen a lot of emotion this week with players after their matches, during their matches, emotion that you don't see every week. I think that that's really important.

There's this false feeling out there that top players don't represent their nation. That's not true. Some of those top players that played in the qualifier round or the second qualifier round didn't make it to the Finals. We had many top players that have played.

With Jannik and Carlos, it would be nice to have them here, their teams are competing with the spirit and the strength that they provide to their teammates.

Again, I think we can always think about the future. We're always open to making the competition the best it can be. I think that's reflected by the change that we made this year with the home and away in September, to strengthen the competition, to take it to more countries and have that feeling around the world.

FELICIANO LOPEZ: Let me add something to that.

I think the fact that the top players are not participating in all the best tennis tournaments in the world, this is something that we all, all the tournaments throughout the year, suffer.

The calendar is congested. There's so many tournaments. For them to participate in all the tournaments, it's very difficult.

The Masters 1000s are also suffering this same issue where eventually either Carlos, Sinner, any other top player in the world, they're not playing.

This is not something related to this competition, to the Davis Cup. This is something that is happening throughout the year in most of the top tennis events in the world.

I would not say that we are the only ones having this issue. It's a main problem that tennis has. The fact there's so many tournaments throughout the calendar, they have to be selective on picking where they play. Not necessarily related to Davis Cup only.

ROSS HUTCHINS: I would also add the one point, because I agree with both Feli and Dave. Carlos was here. He was very, very keen to play. What a season him and Jannik and many others have had, but especially those two. He was here, keen to play. Got injured in the Finals of the Nitto ATP Finals. That is a real shame for him. Jannik, what a competitor the last couple of years, two-time defending champion, playing in every possible tie.

Of course, we value players' opinions highly. Feli and myself speak to a lot of the players in all areas. We are listening to a lot of opinions of the players, but we also speak to a lot of players here who value this competitions as the priority of their whole year.

As Dave said, a lot of the top players unfortunately didn't progress from their ties in September and February this year, which had a strong participation.

Very open to the discussion. Really value players' input. As Feli said, it's a wider tennis conversation around this. That's why we are involved with the Grand Slams and the ATP and the different parties here who do understand tennis and want the best outcome for the sport of tennis overall.

Q. I think everything can be improved. It takes time. Since the calendar, as you are saying, Feliciano, is full, the calendar is run mainly by ATP. I'd like to know if Andrea Gaudenzi, who is talking always about one sport, one vision, is helping in a way the Davis Cup to improve or not and how? Few years ago, to be honest, the ATP wasn't helping. They created the ATP Cup, which was against the Davis Cup. You know it. Even if now everyone seems to forget, that was a fight between somebody and somebody else. Now probably there is not anymore a fight. I'd like to know if there is some improvements? For instance, Gaudenzi said in Turin last week there are seven powers: the four slams, the ITF, the WTA and the ATP. He forgot there is also the Laver Cup. The Laver Cup occupies one week, which every two years could be extended for the Davis Cup. That's my opinion. I don't know what you think about it.

ROSS HUTCHINS: I'll start talking because I probably have the most knowledge of Andrea Gaudenzi and the ATP, because I have been working with him the past six years since he started (smiling).

Andrea is a great leader, a great leader of the ATP, and cares enormously, hugely, I can't underestimate that, about the sport of tennis.

We have a very good relationship with Andrea, both personally, Dave and the FITP. We know his intention is to grow tennis from a participation and from a popularity standpoint.

Andrea talks about one vision, which is about aligning the key stakeholders of our sport, including the players as well, that would almost be the eighth, to try and improve the sport of tennis, to try and face the competition out there in the world, which is other entertainment platforms, gaming, music, technology, things that take time away from people, when sports and tennis we would like to keep growing and elevating.

We have very healthy relationships with the ATP. They are a partner with the ITF of Davis Cup. They sit on the event committee with us. He came here to Bologna. Very supportive, enjoyed the day here, the time here as well.

Together we have been discussing about the format, which Dave referenced as changing in 2025 to the home and away. We will continue to talk with the players and the other governing bodies.

The Grand Slam also came here to talk because everyone cares about Davis Cup. Everyone cares about the future of tennis.

Again, collectively and together, alignment, collaboration and being an understanding of how to grow the tennis by keeping our core values, is Andrea's vision. It is one vision. That's what one vision is, to bring everyone together and grow the sport of tennis together in the future as one vision.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. We'll wrap up there. Thank you, gentlemen.