The planned Davis Cup reform has sparked an intensive discussion among us tennis players. We don't want to get into this discussion directly at this point, but rather explain the history of the Davis Cup to you and explain to you why France, the reigning Davis Cup winner, is a worthwhile tennis country.
The Davis Cup is the world's most important tournament in men's tennis. It is not without reason that this is also called the World Tennis Championship. The Davis Cup has a very traditional history and goes back to the politician and tennis player Dwight Filley Davis (1879-1945). While still a student at Harvard University, he decided that he wanted to challenge Great Britain in tennis with his tennis team in 1899. This was all the more significant considering that England was considered the motherland of tennis .
After Davis' challenge was accepted in England, he created the concept of the tournament and also paid for the winner's trophy out of his own pocket. In 1900, the USA and Great Britain played their tennis match in Boston, where Harvard is located. The date of the game from which the Americans emerged victorious was set as the tournament's founding day and was henceforth named after its founder, Davis. There was a break in 1901, but the Davis Cup has been held continuously since 1902. The traditional tennis series was also made possible by various sponsors, with BNP Paribas being the official sponsor of the Davis Cup and not only supporting the Davis Cup, but also other tennis tournaments.
The USA was able to prove its dominance in the Davis Cup right from the start. In total, the Americans won 32 titles, leading the world rankings ahead of Australia with 28 titles and Great Britain and France with 10 titles each. The current Davis Cup 2018 offers the Americans a new opportunity to revive their record winning streak. The USA is in the semi-finals for the first time since 2012 against Croatia, which won the cup for the first time in 2005 and has become a lot stronger in recent years. However, France was able to attract even more attention than Croatia. The team is currently the current defending champions after a strong performance in the 2017 Davis Cup. Now France is in the semi-finals against Spain. The Iberians should not be underestimated either, especially as they are the only team among the semi-finalists to have won more than two titles since the 2000s.
In fact, Spain managed to win all five of its titles after the turn of the millennium. However, the last American victory was several years ago, as the USA last won the Davis Cup in 2007 and France also won the last time before 2017 in 2001. Spain's statistical dominance in recent years is also reflected in the bookmaker Betway .
As of August 13th, Spain is given the highest chance of winning with odds of 2.37, followed by defending champions France with 3.25. Record winner USA has the lowest odds at odds of 5.00, which isn't too surprising considering their poor performance over the last decade. Croatia, on the other hand, is given a win probability of 4.50, which has truly made the country a tennis surprise. However, surprises are not only found in individual nations. The Bulgarian player Grigor Dimitrov is considered one of the best tennis players in the world, which has significantly increased the popularity of tennis in Bulgaria.
If you look at the defending champion country France, you will see that there is a good infrastructure for tennis vacationers. This is also due to the fact that 40 percent of the population identify with tennis as their favorite sport. The success of the national tennis team and the general interest provide a good basis for tennis. Tennis fans can find breathtaking landscapes and playing opportunities, especially on the French Riviera. You can find cheap flights these days, but a trip by car can also be worthwhile - especially if you want to enjoy the landscape.
Once you have arrived on the Riviera, Nice is home to the Lawn Tennis Club, which was founded in 1890 and is one of the oldest tennis clubs in France. There are 18 red clay courts and many other facilities. However, there are no overnight accommodations available there, which is why you can stay in many local tennis hotels. The more adventurous can find the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy between Cannes and Nice, which is suitable for both adults and children. In addition to a four-star hotel and other facilities, there are a total of 34 tennis courts here. The biggest highlight is certainly the professional tennis training you receive. However, if a visit to one of the numerous locations does not go as desired, it is important to remain calm and approach the organizers with objective criticism.
And we hope to be able to introduce you to some tennis destinations in France soon - stay tuned!
Image sources:
- Davis Cup: pixabay.com
- Nice: pixabay.com
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