SINGAPORE – Football star Gerard Pique is eyeing Singapore as a potential host venue for his tennis World Cup idea.

The Barcelona defender was in town for a layover yesterday (July 6) and met with representatives from Sport Singapore (SportSG), as well as the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) at the former’s offices.

He posted a group picture with his associates and SportSG Acting Director, Event & Fan Development, Galastein Tan and STB’s director of sports Jean Ng, and thanked the latter two in the caption.

“Thanks to Galastein Tan and Jean for your reception here in Singapore,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

Pique was spotted at the Singapore Sports Hub, and national swimmer Danny Yeo managed to get a photo with him.

TODAY understands that Pique, a huge tennis fan, who is also friends with a number of Spanish players including Rafael Nadal, is exploring the possibility of having the Sports Hub as a host for a new tennis World Cup event he and his associates have come up with.

According to sources, Singapore is vying with a few other cities for hosting rights and discussions are at very early stages.

When contacted, SportSG said they and the STB met Pique and his associates for a discussion about hosting a sporting event, but did not give further details. It is understood that the Sports Hub is not involved at this stage.

Spanish international Pique had reportedly discussed the idea of organising a new week-long, 16-team knockout men’s tennis world tournament with ATP Tour chief Chris Kermode at the Madrid Open in May, according to Reuters.

This proposed 10-day tournament would rival the current Davis Cup, a similar tournament between men’s national teams run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

This year’s 106th edition sees 16 teams playing matches over three days on weekends in February, April, September and November.

However, the Davis Cup schedule has seen many stars opt out in order to focus on preparing for the Grand Slams.

The ATP attempted several years ago to introduce a World Cup format known as the World Team Cup but it never got off the ground and was abolished back in 2012.

The likes of Roger Federer, Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray could potentially be in line to play in Singapore if Pique’s idea does materialise and some of those names have already given their backing.

“I’ve tried to speak to him a couple of times, but we’ve exchanged messages, but we haven’t actually spoken in person or on the phone about it,” world no. 1 Murray was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

“Doing new things in tennis is never easy, there’s always a lot of obstacles.

“I think there’s still a lot of things that need to be worked out before it potentially happens, but I think it would be a very good thing.”

“I know from a long time ago there was a group, that Gerard Pique is inside of this group (and) that they wanted to do some kind of competition, like a world championship,” current world no. 2 Nadal added.

“I think it would be great. It would be very interesting to be able to compete for our country.

“I know that the format will be a 10-day tournament in the same spot. I think that it will be a really good initiative. I think right now we are lacking a tournament like that.”

World no. 4 Djokovic acknowledged in a BBC report that establishing a new tournament would be complex, but said of Pique’s efforts: “To see one of the football greats coming to the tennis world and trying to support it personally, but also in some structural business way, can only bring positives to our sport.”

Pique, who also posted a picture of himself relaxing in the Marina Bay Sands’ infinity pool, departed Singapore on Friday (July 7).