The 2026 Davis Cup begins with Round 1 Qualifier action from February 6–8, as nations across the globe compete for a place in the next phase of the tournament. With the tennis season still in its early stages, form, surface, and squad selection will play decisive roles.
South American Nations Host Pair of World Group Ties
Chile will enter as favorites at home on clay when they host Serbia. The Chilean lineup is anchored by top-100 singles players Cristian Garín and Alejandro Tabilo, with Nicolás Jarry and Tomás Barrios Vera providing further depth. Serbia counter with just one established singles player, Dušan Lajović, now outside the top 100. Captain Viktor Troicki will need to extract maximum value from his squad to guide Serbia into the next round.
Also on clay, Ecuador host Australia with just one top-200 singles player, Álvaro Guillén Meza, named in their lineup. Ecuador will hope altitude and familiar conditions can help level the playing field. Australia, despite fielding a “B side,” still arrive with significant firepower, led by top-100 players Aleksandar Vukic and James Duckworth. Even without their biggest names, the Australians appear stronger on paper.
Other South American nations are also in action. Peru travel to face Germany, while Argentina head to South Korea. The Argentine side, led by Marco Trungelliti, lacks depth and firepower, while South Korea’s hopes rest largely on former top-30 player Hyeon Chung. Peru enter as underdogs, with Ignacio Buse their leading singles player, while Germany field an experienced and balanced team featuring Jan-Lennard Struff, Yannick Hanfmann, and rising talent Justin Engel.
European Nations Set for Key Davis Cup Battles
Croatia, led by the ageless Marin Čilić, host Denmark, with August Holmgren headlining the visiting side. Great Britain, featuring Jack Draper, returning to tennis, alongside Cameron Norrie, Jacob Fearnley, and doubles specialists Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash, travel to Norway to face Casper Ruud and highly rated youngster Nicolai Budkov Kjær.
Belgium, with Raphaël Collignon and Alexander Blockx, travel to Bulgaria, while Austria face a difficult trip to Japan, where Yoshihito Nishioka and Kei Nishikori lead the hosts. The Netherlands face a tricky test against India, spearheaded by Sumit Nagal.
Sweden, featuring Leo Borg, take on a Czechia side led by Jiří Lehečka and harboring ambitions of a deep run in the competition. Slovakia travel to face France, who will rely on Arthur Rinderknech and Benjamin Bonzi.
USA Travel to Hungary, Canada Host Brazil
Hungary host Team USA on clay, with top-50 player Fábián Marozsán leading the home side. The American roster includes young prospects Ethan Quinn and Emilio Nava as they look to navigate a challenging away tie.
In Vancouver, Canada—led by Gabriel Diallo—host Brazil. The Brazilian squad arrives without a top-200 singles player, giving Canada a strong opportunity to advance on home soil.
World Group 1 Qualifiers Span the Globe
World Group 1 action highlights the truly global nature of the Davis Cup. Switzerland, with Jérôme Kym and Leandro Riedi, face Tunisia and Moez Echargui. Hong Kong, led by Coleman Wong, host Finland, while Portugal’s Nuno Borges takes on a deep and intriguing Chinese squad featuring Wu Yibing, Shang Juncheng, Zhang Zhizhen, Zhou Yi, and Bu Yunchaokete.
Bosnia and Mirza Bašić travel to New Zealand, while Chinese Taipei host Lebanon. Alexander Bublik leads Kazakhstan at home against Monaco, who feature Valentin Vacherot and doubles specialist Hugo Nys. Israel host Lithuania, Egypt face Poland, and Morocco take on Colombia.
Elsewhere, Stefanos Tsitsipas leads Greece at home against Mexico, Romania travel to Paraguay, and Ukraine face Luxembourg as nations across every continent chase Davis Cup progression.
The road to Davis Cup glory starts far from the finals, in packed venues and unfamiliar conditions where rankings matter less than resilience. As the 2026 campaign opens, these early qualifiers will decide which nations keep the dream alive—and which see their run end almost as soon as it begins.
Main Photo Credit: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
