Barcelona legend Gerard Pique SLAMMED by tennis star Stan Wawrinka

Cameron Smith

Updated: 12 Sept 2023 17:20 BST
4 min read

Tennis star Stan Wawrinka has slammed former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique for his role in the new ATP Group Stages format.

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Pique, 36, has pivoted to business since retiring from football in 2022, with his seven-a-side tournament ‘Kings League’ proving a major hit since its inception in January 2023.

The likes of Iker Casillas and Sergio Aguero have played in Kings League, while a masked player under the name “Enigma” also featured as Pique’s creation began to grow its fanbase.

Furthermore, Pique’s business adventures have also seen him influence tennis. Back in 2019, the International Tennis Foundation (ITF) signed a 25-year contract worth $3 billion with Kosmos, a company founded by Pique.

That deal saw major changes occur in tennis, with the format of the Davis Cup altered significantly. However, many tennis stars were critical of Pique’s involvement and the changes made to the Davis Cup.

That deal between the ITF and Kosmos collapsed in January 2023, the same month that Kings League was launched.

When Kosmos agreed the deal with the ITF, Pique was confident the changes he’d made were a positive thing for tennis. He said: “We believe that what we have done with the Davis Cup is a resounding success.

“We arrived with a competition which was in decline, which was at its lowest. And in terms of sport, economics and viewership, we have above all reformed the tournament.”

But, Pique has now been criticised on Twitter by three-time Grand Slam winner Wawrinka.

Thank you @3gerardpique @ITFTennis 🤬🤦🏻‍♂️! @DavisCup France vs Switzerland in Manchester lol pic.twitter.com/XqcqSQEURd
— Stanislas Wawrinka (@stanwawrinka) September 12, 2023

Wawrinka is not happy with Pique

The Swiss player, who is ranked 40th in the ATP standings, is currently in action for his nation in the Davis Cup Finals Group B.

Switzerland are in the same group as France, Australia and Great Britain with matches taking place in Manchester between September 12-17.

However, despite Pique’s quotes stating that the Kosmos deal has improved viewership of tennis, Wawrinka has posted a video on Twitter, now known as X, of a virtually empty stadium for Switzerland’s match against France.

He posted the video alongside a caption that reads: “Thank you @3gerardpique @ITFTennis!” followed by an angry face emoji and an emoji of a person with their hand on their face.

“@DavisCup France vs Switzerland in Manchester lol,” Wawrinka concluded.