David Ferrer has been appointed as tournament director for the Davis Cup Finals ©Getty Images

Former world number three David Ferrer has been appointed as tournament director for the Davis Cup Finals.

The 40-year-old replaces fellow Spaniard Alberto Costa, who held the role since 2019.

Ferrer's appointment means he has joined Kosmos Tennis, the organisation in charge of the new Davis Cup format which has seen multi-team finals take place since 2019.

"I'm very excited about joining the project," said Ferrer, who won the Davis Cup three times with Spain and played 20 ties in all.

"The Davis Cup is a unique competition. 

"As a player, it is one of the tournaments that you always want to play because of what it means. 

"You compete as a team, you play for your country, you spend a week with your team-mates and the crowd atmosphere is unbelievable."

Sixteen teams will participate in this year's Davis Cup Finals, which will begin with a group stage between September 13 and 18.

This will see matches played in Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia.

The top two teams from each city will advance to the "Final 8" in Malaga from November 22 to 27.

Multi-team Davis Cup Finals have been played since 2019 ©Getty Images
Multi-team Davis Cup Finals have been played since 2019 ©Getty Images

"It is going to be another exciting challenge for us," said Ferrer, who reached the final of the French Open in 2013 and retired six years later.

"Since 2019, we have been working with players, organisers, fans and sponsors to maximise the success of the new format, while maintaining the event’s unique qualities. 

"Using my experience, my goal is to inspire new audiences for the competition both now and in the future."

The Davis Cup, the premier men's team tennis competition, has a history which stretches back to 1900.

Before the introduction of the new format, a one-off final was staged between the two countries left after a knockout phase.

Former Spain and current Barcelona footballer Gerard Piqué is the founder and managing director of Kosmos, which has overseen two Finals so far.

Spain triumphed in 2019 and the Russian Tennis Federation, playing neutrally, won in 2021.

Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, Sweden and the United States have qualified for this year's Finals.