ITF

10 ITFWORLD WINTER 2015 T he hard work that David Haggerty had put in during his campaign was all worth it for the moment in Santiago back in September when the 58-year-old American was told that he was the new President of the International Tennis Federation. "It was very exciting in so many ways," admits Haggerty. "You have a combination of emotions — it's surprise, it's happiness, it's definitely exciting. Having been in charge of the USTA (United States Tennis Association) was such a pinnacle for me because it was my country, it was where I came from. I never thought beyond that. Then having this opportunity to lead the world in the federation business of tennis was just fantastic." Sitting in his office at the ITF headquarters in London as the successor to Francesco Ricci Bitti, Haggerty is aware, though, that there is plenty more hard work to come. During his campaign in which he met and spoke with member nations, a number of key issues emerged which he will now look to deal with in his new role. "The campaign was a long time period, but it was very exciting because I love people," says Haggerty. "One of the themes I had in my campaign was listen, learn and lead. I heard so many good ideas that ended up being put into the manifesto, ideas that I think will help the ITF into the future. The ITF has a strong foundation, a very good brand, but we need to make some changes." Both the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas and Fed Cup by BNP Paribas are hugely popular around the world, but Haggerty already has a plan on how he wants to revolutionise the two competitions. This would involve making changes to the format, one of which would be the introduction of a new 'final four' concept. "For me, the most important thing is the fans," explains Haggerty. We've got to make sure what we do resonates with the fans and spectators. It has to be player- friendly so that they will want to play in the competition every year. I think it's got to work for the nations and we also have to collaborate with the tours and the Grand Slams to have the whole tennis body embrace whatever it is that we do. "A fundamental thing that I think is important to Davis Cup and Fed Cup is the home-and-away format, especially in the earlier rounds. What would be very interesting to me is a final four concept. In the final week, generally in November, we would have the final four teams come together in a neutral location somewhere to be determined. We would be able to plan in advance where that is. We could have the semifinals in the first three days, a day of rest and then three days for the final. "Another idea is to have the finalist and the runner-up get a bye in the first round of the next year because one of the things that confuses spectators and players is that you are the world champion in November, and then you are defending in January or February. The players I have talked to have been very positive about that and I think it would cause them to play a little bit more than they do right now. We also have to look at three out of five sets or two out of three. "I will ensure that a lot of collaboration will take place in order to get to the right ending whatever that happens to be. It is a great property, but I want to polish it a little bit more and update it to stay current with the expectations of the fans as well as the players." Collaboration is a key term that Haggerty regularly uses and one which DAVID HAGGERTY INTERVIEW The Davis Cup trophy Czech Republic lift the Fed Cup

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