LONDON — Grigor Dimitrov marked his first Davis Cup appearance for Bulgaria in over a decade with victory, prompting former world No. 2 Alex Corretja to call for a change to the competition's kit rules. The world No. 127 edged Denmark's Elmer Møller in a three-set contest to help give Bulgaria a 2-1 lead in the tie, which also featured Holger Rune's return after 11 months away ahead of a scheduled meeting with Dimitrov.
Corretja made his suggestion on social media after watching Dimitrov's win, questioning why both teams wore similar colours. “Can the teams have home and away outfits? In case they wear the same colours, the visitors should change and have the second option! What do you think?” he wrote, before adding: “Thanks Davis Cup… and all the best for the weekend.”
The call follows wider debate over the Davis Cup format, including the decision to scrap home and away ties from the finals onward. Carlos Alcaraz has previously argued the event should be held less frequently to ease calendar congestion and increase its prestige, saying: “They have to do something in this event because I think playing every year is not as good as it might be if you’re playing every two or every three years. I think if the tournament is played like every two or every three years, the commitment of the players is going to be even more because it’s unique.”
Only four members of the ATP top 10 — Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, Alex de Minaur and Felix Auger-Aliassime — are contesting the current Davis Cup fixtures, with Shelton losing to Jiri Lehecka. The Davis Cup Finals are scheduled for Bologna, Italy, between November 24 and 29, with South Korea and Italy the only two teams so far confirmed for the event.