Staging Davis Cup ties in neutral venues is like an eighth deadly sin to some - but a return to traditional home and away ties would "not work", according to the man in charge.
The route to November's Finals begins with a qualifying round in February, which is played on the home and away basis that sustained the competition until 2018.
But the last 16 is now staged in just four cities in September and the final eight are disputing the trophy in Malaga this week - and hosts Spain have not qualified.
"The home and away format is not going to work and the players told us that in the past," International Tennis Federation (ITF) president David Haggerty said in an interview with BBC Sport.