Speaking to the Telegraph today, the president of the International Tennis Federation – David Haggerty – confirmed this column's disclosure that the new Davis Cup model will retain an element of home-and-away after all.

In the same interview, Haggery also revealed plans to take the Fed Cup down the same road in 2020.

During a wide-ranging update on the ITF's position, Haggerty explained the model that he and investment group Kosmos are now working on. “We are looking at a round of 24 teams in home-and-away ties in February, in the week after the Australian Open, producing 12 winners. They would then go on to the November tournament, along with the four semi-finalists from the previous year, and two invited teams.” To clarify, this adds up to 18 participants at the proposed year-ending event.

“It’s important for the national federations to be able to stage ties,” Haggerty added. “It’s a way of promoting the sport and of connecting with fans.” It is worth noting, however, that the new model might leave tennis’s powerhouse nations – the likes of France and Spain – playing fewer February ties than their rivals, as a result of regularly finishing in the last four.

The ITF’s Fed Cup plans are also moving forward, after numerous leading figures in the women’s game – including British Fed Cup captain Anne Keothavong – asked why so much effort and innovation was being devoted to the Davis Cup alone.