The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has today (Monday) announced Innsbruck and Turin will join Madrid as hosts of the 2021 Davis Cup Finals, as part of a revamp of the staging model from the most recent edition of the men’s national team tournament in 2019.
The Austrian and Italian cities have been chosen to host the Finals alongside Madrid after submitting successful bids. Each city will host two of the six groups, with Madrid staging two quarter-finals, and Innsbruck and Turin one quarter-final each. The Spanish capital will also host the semi-finals and final.
Matches in Madrid will be staged at the Madrid Arena in the Casa de Campo, while Innsbruck’s Olympia-Halle and the Pala Alpitour Arena in Turin are the other two venues. The Pala Alpitour Arena (pictured) is also set to become the new host of the ATP Finals from this year.
The 2021 Davis Cup Finals will be held from November 25 until December 5 and played on hard courts. The ITF and Davis Cup commercial rights-holder, Kosmos Tennis, said the three-venue, 11-day format will improve the schedule for players, enhance the experience for fans and bring the competition to a wider audience.
Albert Costa, director of the Davis Cup Finals, added: “We are very excited to bring the Davis Cup Finals to Innsbruck and Turin. Both cities submitted impressive bids that not only promise a world class experience for players and fans, but also include stringent measures to ensure the health and safety of all in attendance.
“It was important to find two European cities that were well connected to Madrid, with similar playing conditions, to provide a smooth transition for players travelling from other venues. With confirmation of the three venues, we are already working hard to offer the best possible event in 2021. We are also liaising closely with the Region of Madrid and the City Council as thanks to their support, Madrid remains as the main venue for this year.”
The ITF in January approved plans to make the 2021 Finals an 11-day event and said it was considering a proposal to expand the number of host cities from one to three through launching a bidding process.
The Spanish capital of Madrid had an agreement in place to host this year’s Finals but the ITF Board confirmed that it would enter a period of consultation over the introduction of a multi-city format. The announcement came following proposals from Kosmos Tennis, which in 2018 signed a 25-year agreement with the ITF to invest $3bn (£2.18bn/€2.52bn) into the sport.
Madrid was awarded hosting rights to the revamped Davis Cup Finals in September 2018. The agreement covered the 2019 and 2020 editions of the tournament, although last year’s event was postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19.
The revamp of the Davis Cup saw the event move away from its traditional season-long format and adopt a more condensed, World Cup-style approach featuring 18 teams. Spain, led by Rafael Nadal, won the first edition of the revamped tournament in November 2019.
Commenting on today’s announcement, ITF senior executive director of professional tennis, Kris Dent, said: “The proposals announced in January were aimed at providing a better schedule for players while bringing the competition to new audiences and improving the experience for fans.
“Following a thorough bid process, we are delighted to be able to confirm Innsbruck and Turin as co-hosts alongside Madrid. We are confident that, together, they will deliver an outstanding world championship event for players and fans alike.”
Image: Pala Alpitour
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