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Two-time Davis Cup winner Todd Woodbridge fears the century-old competition may be consigned to history if tennis chiefs don't make some radical changes.

Australian tennis great Todd Woodbridge fears the age-old Davis Cup could become a thing of the past if the sport's leaders don't get their act together.

First played more than a century ago in 1900, the finals of the group stage of the prestigious men's team event is being staged in the UK this week.

Australia will conclude its first match against the Andy Murray-led Great Britain outfit in Manchester on Thursday morning (AEST).

But Woodbridge is predicting a sad end to the famous event unless changes aren't made to the format after Spanish soccer great Gerard Pique's Kosmos Group presided over a radical shake-up.

As well as removing home-and-away ties in favour of an end-of-season World Cup-style climax, organisers ended the traditional best-of-five-sets matches for more cut-throat first-to-two-sets affairs.

The Kosmos Group's takeover of the Davis Cup in 2019 was worth a reported Sterling 2.5 billion ($A4.87 billion) and had been set to run for 25 years but waning interest put paid to the deal.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is back running the event but has already drawn criticism from tennis greats, including three-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka.

"Thank you Gerard Pique and ITF! France vs. Switzerland in Manchester," Wawrinka tweeted with an angry-face emoji showing the stands mostly empty.

Woodbridge, a dual Davis Cup winner and 16-times grand slam doubles champion, reposted Wawrinka's tweet with his own proposal to tennis chiefs.

"Until there is change of leadership @ITFTennis and @DavisCup the event will become a thing of the past," he posted.

"So sad to see what was once a magnificent competition reduced to this."

Despite the premature end to the Kosmos connection, the format will remain for 2023 but changes are anticipated for next year's event.

"The ITF can confirm that its partnership with Kosmos Tennis for Davis Cup is ending in its fifth year," a statement from the governing body read.

Woodbridge and current captain Lleyton Hewitt were instrumental in guiding Australia to their 28th and most recent Davis Cup title in 2003.

Two decades on and Hewitt is skippering an Australian team of Alex de Minaur, Max Purcell, Alexei Popyrin, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jordan Thompson which hopes to go one better than last year's finals defeat to Canada.