How Gerard Pique’s $3bn Davis Cup dream fell apart

During the Davis Cup finals unfolding this week in Malaga, one notable figure missing is the millionaire footballer and entrepreneur Gerard Pique.

Five years ago, Pique proposed a $3 billion deal to the International Tennis Federation over 25 years, offering “football” money to take the Davis Cup off their hands. However, things did not go as planned.

Pique’s new model was met with disapproval from many of the Davis Cup’s loyal supporters, and nearly all major sponsors withdrew their support. Subsequently, his company Kosmos struggled to justify such a massive investment.

The deal collapsed in rancorous style in January, only three years into the proposed 25, leading to a legal battle at Lausanne’s Court of Arbitration for Sport between Pique and the ITF.

Despite the criticisms labeling the project as the “Pique Cup,” his allies insist that his involvement was a labor of love, driven by his passion for the sport, even though football is his main business. In addition, numerous issues arose during the inaugural event in 2019, but it did provide some memorable sporting moments.

While attendance remains steady, the Davis Cup has essentially become a European event, shutting out the rest of the world and causing a decline in commercial value and fan interest.

It remains to be seen where the Davis Cup will go from here given the current set-up’s decline following Pique’s involvement.

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