Don't Miss

ENG

Cricket
Football
NDTV Podcast
Formula 1
Tennis
Golf
Badminton
- Kabaddi
- Boxing
- Athletics
- Chess
- Swimming
- Shooting
- Wrestling
- Table tennis
- Othersports
- NFL
- NBA
- NHL
- US Streamers
- MMA
- WWE

Dark / Light mode

Oct 10,2026 06:31 AM IST

Indian Davis Cup team threatens boycott

facebook

twitter

Settings

Change Font Size

A A
Change Language

हिंदी | Hindi
Focus on Story

Select Language

Languages
हिंदी | Hindi

Dark / Light mode

Featured Links
Featured Sports
- Cricket
- Football
- Formula 1
- Tennis
- Hockey
- Golf
- Badminton
More Sports
- Kabaddi
- Boxing
- Athletics
- Chess
- Swimming
- Shooting
- Wrestling
- Table tennis
- Othersports
More from NDTV
- NDTV
- Business
- Hindi
- Movies
- Cricket
- Health
- Food
- Tech
- Auto
- Apps
- Trains

Tennis

News
Features
Blogs
Photos
Videos
Players
Grand Slams

arrow-down reddit snapchat twitter facebook comments email printer search bell top-nav reddit-fill snapchat-fill twitter-fill facebook-fill share whatsapp-fill bookmark arrow-rgt arrow-next arrow-up refresh close link cog star book zap cricket football tennis formula-1 badminton hockey golf boxing ndtv-n check left-arrow right-arrow

Live Cricket Matches

Cricket Matches
Football Matches
All Matches

India Matches

IPL 2026

Football Matches

Cricket Matches
Football Matches
All Matches

ISL

EPL

All Matches

Cricket Matches
Football Matches
All Matches

India Matches

EPL

1st Test, Australia in South Africa, 3 Test Series, 2026 at Durban, Oct 9, 2026

Day 1 Stumps

notify

South Africa

Yet To Bat

Australia

187/6 (65.2)

Australia elected to bat

CRR: 2.87
One-off Test, Afghanistan and Bangladesh in UAE, One-off Test, 2026 at Abu Dhabi, Oct 9, 2026

Day 1 Stumps

notify

Afghanistan

Yet To Bat

Bangladesh

317/8 (84.0)

Bangladesh elected to bat

CRR: 3.77
English Premier League, 2026/27

Match 51 , at London, Oct 10, 2026

Arsenal

Leeds United AFC

Sat, Oct 10, 2026 - 5:00 PM IST
Indian Super League, 2026-27

Match 1 , at Bengaluru, Oct 10, 2026

Bengaluru FC

Sporting Club Delhi

Sat, Oct 10, 2026 - 5:00 PM IST
English Premier League, 2026/27

Match 52 , at Birmingham, Oct 10, 2026

Aston Villa

Brentford

Sat, Oct 10, 2026 - 7:30 PM IST
Match 132, ICC CWC League 2, 2023-27 at Dallas, Oct 9, 2026

Namibia

135/2 (26.0)

United Arab Emirates

134 (37.3)

Namibia beat United Arab Emirates by 8 wickets
2nd T20I, West Indies in India, 5 T20I Series, 2026 at Ranchi, Oct 9, 2026

India

249/5 (20.0)

West Indies

252/4 (18.3)

West Indies beat India by 6 wickets
1st T20I, Sri Lanka in Pakistan, 3 T20I Series, 2026 at Rawalpindi, Oct 9, 2026

Pakistan

187/6 (18.5)

Sri Lanka

182/8 (20.0)

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 4 wickets

Sports Home Tennis News Indian Davis Cup team threatens boycott

Story ProgressBack to home

Indian Davis Cup team threatens boycott

Top players including Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Somdev Devvarman have made demands which include higher share in Davis Cup prize money, changes made to team management and a say in venues selected.

Written by Press Trust of India
Updated: January 04, 2013 06:49 pm IST

Read Time: 4 min

New Delhi:

The crisis that has hit Indian tennis deepened on Friday with the revolting players threatening to pull out of the upcoming Davis Cup tie against South Korea unless AITA discusses their "legitimate" suggestions for improvement in the system.

The eight players issued a joint statement and insisted that their intention is not to challenge the authority of national tennis body.

"Given that all the information is now in the public domain, we wish to emphatically state that all of us are united in our stand against certain practices observed in the management of the Davis Cup squad. We are not looking to challenge the authority of the AITA, but are making a genuine attempt to change things for the improvement of Indian tennis," the statement said.

The players repeated their major demands -- change in support staff, a say in decision making, revised agreement for the distribution of Davis Cup prize money -- and said they are not willing to play in Davis Cup unless AITA engages them in a dialogue.

"In light of the AITA Secretary General Mr. Bharat Oza's statement that the AITA will introduce a disciplinary code for players before the Davis Cup tie against South Korea in February and that only those who sign the code will be able to represent the country, we wish to make it very clear that ALL of us are, regrettably, unavailable for Davis Cup selection unless the AITA is willing to consider and engage with us on our very legitimate suggestions in relation to the team."

The players said their statement should not be construed as an ultimatum but instead as a platform for change to ensure a better future for Indian Tennis.

Somdev Devvarman, who is leading the group of players, said if they will not get a fair response from the AITA, they will continue with their fight.

"If the AITA proposes a solution that is agreeable to all the players, I shall play for the country, if asked. If, in our opinion, the AITA's response is unfair, I will stand united with the rest of the players and continue on our pursuit for changes in the system that I believe are necessary for the evolution of the sport and the system of sports administration in the country.

"My involvement will always be for the greater good of the team and what we believe is best for our team. We will not continue to function with these archaic methods of management," Somdev was quoted as saying in the statement.

Veteran Mahesh Bhupathi, who has taken on AITA on several grounds in the past, backed the younger generation.

"It is refreshing to see the players unite on a common stance. What they are suggesting is improved infrastructure and support to enhance their performance at Davis Cup ties.

Tennis is a demanding sport physically and mentally, and these suggestions accommodate those factors. It shouldn't be a hard decision for the AITA.

"If Leander (Paes) and I could have been on the same page years ago we would have done the same but the next generation seems to have us back on track now. I admire their desire to improve the state of affairs," he said.

Rohan Bopanna said the suggestions made to the AITA are for the benefit of the sport and for the future of the sport in the country.

"Each and every one of us currently playing for the country, believe that these changes will result in a stronger and fairly selected team to represent the nation on multiple platforms," Bopanna said.

Sanam Singh said their suggestions needed to be heard.

"We are a young team and stand united in the belief that these changes are for the best for Indian tennis and for us as a team moving forward," the diminutive player said.

Vishnu Vardhan, who played extremely well on his Olympics debut with Paes, said, "This is not a 'revolt' but a mere discussion between the players and the AITA to reach a common goal of achieving the best Indian Davis Cup Team."

Yuki Bhambri said a change in the system was the need of the hour.

"We work and train hard throughout the year and when performing for the nation we want to put our best foot forward. To perform at the optimum level we need to use the best available resources. We are a young team and deserve a younger support staff, people with whom we can mentally connect," he said.

Left-handed Divij Sharan, who was recently India's fourth current player in top-100 in doubles, a change will bring the best out of the players.

"As players, we are always working towards performing our best on court, and collectively, we believe that some systemic changes are needed to help us in this regard. We believe that this support will go a long way in getting the best out of the players," he said.

Saketh Myneni said,"We are not rebelling, but making an attempt to open discussions on the way forward for the sport in India.Â As a young, united team, we need changes in the best interest of the Indian Davis Cup Team."