ERSA PRO STRINGER ISSUE 6-2018 prostringer6-18 web | Page 17

INDUSTRY NEWS
this change and have seen the momentous decision that was in their hands.
"This is the beginning of a new stage that guarantees the pre-eminent and legitimate place that the Davis
Cup should have as a competition for national teams while adapting to the demands of this professional
sport at the highest level. It is a great honour for me to be part of this historic process of a sport that I am pas-
sionate about and, without a doubt, in both personal and professional terms this is one of the happiest days
of my life.”
The 25-year agreement represents a total investment of US $3 billion into tennis, creating substantial and his-
toric levels of investment into the global development of tennis through the ITF and its 210-member National
Associations. There will be a significant increase in the nations' income from the competition and a new player
prize fund of $20 million, elevating Davis Cup by BNP Paribas to Grand Slam prize money levels.
The new format will involve a qualifying round in February, in which 24 teams will take part in a home and
away matches – a key element of the Davis Cup’s heritage. The 12 winners will secure a direct place into the
final and will join the four semifinalists of the previous year – who qualif y without having to play in February –
and two wildcards that will be announced before the draw for the qualifying round.
The Davis Cup Finals will be held in a round robin format from Monday to Thursday, with the countries divided
into six groups and each qualifying round consisting of three matches – two singles and one doubles – of
best-of-three sets. The first placed teams from each group and the two best runners-up will reach the quar-
terfinals on Friday, while Saturday and Sunday will host the semifinals and the final. The two worst qualified
teams from the round robin stage will be relegated to the Zone Groups for the following year and the rest of
the nations that did not qualify for the semifinals will have to participate in February's qualifying round the
following season.
The ITF and Kosmos have already taken all the necessary steps to successfully consolidate this transition and
are planning to announce further details in the coming weeks.
About Kosmos
Kosmos is a company founded and chaired by professional footballer Gerard Piqué with the support of Hiroshi
Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, a Tokyo-based e-commerce company. Kosmos is currently building a
portfolio linked to sports, media and the entertainment industry by providing leadership strategies through
different forms of content, platforms, technologies and geographic spaces.
The International Olympic Committee has announced the
composition of the IOC commissions for 2018, with the International Tennis Federation’s two athlete board
members, Mary Pierce and Mark Woodforde, given positions.
Pierce has been appointed to the Olympic Education Commission and Woodforde will occupy a role on the
Olympic Communications Commission.
The IOC commissions, in addition to providing assistance to the IOC and to the Organising Committees for the
Olympic Games, engage in a range of activities throughout the year, contributing to building a better world
through sport.
The composition changes reflect the IOC’s commitment to improve gender equality throughout all levels of
sport. Women will now occupy 30 more commission positions than last year, meaning that a record high of
42.7% of the positions across the 26 IOC commissions will now be held by women.
The changes also include increases in the number of members
from Africa and Oceania.
IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement: “The IOC is
continuing to increase female participation and geographical
representation at every level of the Olympic Movement. We have
made significant progress in the past few years and this work
will continue. Universality is at the heart of the Olympic Move-
ment, and it is this strength through diversity which unites us
all.”
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