Davis Cup tournament

The first tennis tournaments date back to the century before last. In 1975, a competition involving 22 athletes attracted great attention from spectators who were keen to see a real spectacle. The competition was so successful that in 1986 it was included in the Olympic Games. Nowadays hundreds of tournaments of all ranks are held every year all over the world. Each and every one of them is watched by tennis fans. But only the most prestigious championships attract millions of people. One of these tournaments is the Davis Cup.

Davis Cup

Every tennis tournament has its own particular characteristics. Davis Cup is no exception. Traditionally, this tournament only involves men. There is a counterpart for women called the Fed Cup. In addition, all matches are played between teams, which are divided according to two principles:

1. Ranking of the athletes.
2. The geographical position of the participating countries.

At the very top of the tournament is the World Group, where the real stars of tennis are, who have long since proved their level. The teams are further divided geographically into the following groups:

• North and South America;
• Europe and Africa;
• Asia and Oceania.

In each of these groups, there is a further division based on the ranking of players in world tennis. They are all divided into three groups.

History of the tournament

The history of the tournament dates back to 1899. That’s when a few students at Harvard University decided that it would be a great idea to hold a friendly match between the British and US teams. The prime mover behind the idea was Dwight Davies, who was a keen advocate of the sport.

In addition, it was he who drafted the rules of the tournament and commissioned a bowl, which was quickly nicknamed ‘Salad Bowl’ because of its pattern. The friendly match itself took place in 1900, with the US team coming out on top. It was then decided to hold such a competition every year.

The names of the first winners of the tournament were engraved on the cup itself. Soon, however, there was no room left on it, and here again Davies came to the rescue. He spent $400 on making a coaster, to which the names of the winners were affixed. Then he had to buy another one, and today there are as many as three of these “salad bowl” coasters. As for Dwight Davis, after graduation he devoted himself to politics. However, his contribution to the development of tennis was appreciated. Dwight’s name was inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame, and after his death the trophy officially became known as the Davis Cup.

Quite interestingly, the creator of the tournament himself achieved a lot in his career. He was US Secretary of War and Governor General of the Philippines. In addition, Davis managed to take part in the battles of World War I, and was even awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. And yet, to the general public he is forever known as the creator of the Davis Cup.