Davis Cup team loses John Chin to fast-paced US league

John Chin, a member of Jamaica’s national senior tennis team, says he will not represent the country at next month’s Davis Cup championships after deciding to take up a contract with INTENNSE Tennis in the United States.

The event, which will run from June 1 to August 2, will be held at the INTENNSE Arena in Doraville, Atlanta, while Jamaica are set to compete in Group Three of the Davis Cup in Costa Rica from June 11-14.

“I have made arrangements to play in this league and I have signed the contract already. So I have to be fully committed to it, and it is around the same time as the Davis Cup. I will have to be there for the whole summer to play,” Chin said.

“This is a new type of tennis, and so the rules are a bit different and it must be faster, and you only get one serve and the winner counts as two points. I will be on a team with eight different people, four men and four women.”

INTENNSE is a fast-paced, team-based tennis league featuring 10-minute ‘Bolts’ of continuous play, one serve per point, a 14-second shot clock and live coaching. Matches emphasise aggressive play, with players earning two points for a clean winner and one point for a standard point. The format also includes live net serves and unlimited substitutions, similar to basketball.

Chin noted that while representing Jamaica at the Davis Cup has always been important to him, he believes this latest move is the right decision for his professional development.

“I always said I wanted to play Davis Cup, but I feel like this is a good opportunity for my career.  But I still believe in the team that we have, and I know that they are going to do well at the Davis Cup,” he said.

“This is an opportunity to make some money, because there is a lot of money in the league. So I will be able to earn a lot from playing in this competition.”

Chin, 22, also noted that he is very excited about competing in the innovative league; and he also revealed how he earned the opportunity.

“I feel good about this tournament and I am excited for the opportunity to grow my game and hopefully, I will get invited back next year,” he said.

“I was approached by one of the organisers of the event and he invited me to do a showcase event in December and they watched how I performed there, and then they invited me to join the league.” Chin also noted that he will be facing off against some of world's top tennis players in this competition. 

“There are going to be players in the top 200 and top 300 in the world competing in this event. There will be some former players who were top 20 in the world in doubles, and they have good sponsorship and they have players involved like Sloane Stephens,” Chin stated. 

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s team captain Dominic Pagon said he is disappointed by Chin’s decision but he understands his situation. 

“It’s unfortunate for our team that John has declined our invitation to represent Jamaica in Davis Cup next month in Costa Rica due to other commitments,” said Pagon.

“John Chin has been an important player for our country, and we hope to see him representing Jamaica again in future competitions.”