Barbara Rittner has sharply criticized the reform proposals of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for the Davis Cup.
“That’s how the traditions of this competition are being destroyed,” said the head of the German women’s tennis club and long-standing Fed Cup team boss to tennisnet,”this suggestion is more reminiscent of a 2.0 version of the former World Team Cup in Düsseldorf.
Rittner accused ITF boss Davis Haggerty of “just squinting at the money” and of baiting him with high entry fees:”That seems to be the most important thing for him. In recent years, we have seen a marked increase in injuries, which are also due to a lack of recovery periods.”
The former professional player also reacted with bitterness to the sole ITF initiative for the Men’s Nations Competition:”How can you proclaim and promote something like this without having an idea for the women’s Fed Cup? I find that highly negligent and disrespectful.”
She sees herself confirmed by the ITF and President Haggerty’s advance only in the “unplanned talks that have been conducted in Melbourne by the World Association on this subject”, Rittner said:”They have gathered ideas, but the whole thing has not been consistently thought through to the end”.
According to the German head of women’s tennis, there was also no desire to really communicate with the players:”I think there were good, sensible proposals on the table. Also, to organize national competitions only every two years. Now it only seems as if the ITF has run after the money. This doesn’t play a major role for the top players. They don’t need the money anymore.”