Leon Smith has commented on the ATP Tour’s top players missing Davis Cup ties and believes something needs to be done about it.
Team GB will be without Draper at the Davis Cup after the British star announced he would miss the rest of 2025 due to injury.
The Davis Cup has often suffered in September due to following a busy summer schedule that involves Wimbledon and the US Open.
Smith has called on a scheduling change for tennis, which would benefit the top stars and allow them to play the Davis Cup more readily.
Leon Smith calls for Davis Cup format change after Jack Draper’s withdrawal
The likes of Alcaraz and Nadal have often called for a schedule change and now Smith has done the same.
“I get the feeling that the players want to be part of this,” Smith said in an interview with BBC Sport. “We, at the LTA, and the players here, you can tell they value this, they value coming together,” he explained.
However, the Team GB captain also called for a scheduling change for the Davis Cup to help the top-tier players represent their countries.
Draper’s withdrawal through injury comes alongside Carlos Alcaraz skipping Spain’s Davis Cup tie with Denmark.
“There are clearly more conversations that need to be had about the scheduling, to try and get those players that are going deep in the Slams,” said Smith.
“If you want them to play, asking them for a few days turnaround – sometimes to travel extremely far or change surfaces – that’s going to be difficult,” he continued.
“So I get the feeling there is a strong appetite to represent your country in Davis Cup, but there is some work to do in the formatting.”
Team GB without Draper includes Cameron Norrie, Jacob Fearnley, Arthur Fery, Julian Cash, and Lloyd Glasspool.
Leon Smith makes prediction about Jack Draper’s return to tennis
Draper has already confirmed he will not play for the rest of 2025 following his withdrawal from the US Open.
The British No. 1 has not confirmed the date of his return, but Smith, in the same interview with the BBC, has predicted when he’ll be back.
“I think what they have done is the right call, to take this time out now and get this sorted, and work on other aspects,” said Smith. “And I’m sure he will be back for the start of the season.”
Draper has had a breakout year on the ATP Tour, which included the Brit winning Indian Wells and breaking into the top 10.
