There is no rest for the weary, as the tennis season continues, even though all four Grand Slam tournaments are in the rearview mirror. With the U.S. Open concluding on Sunday, the Davis Cup Finals get underway this week.
Sixteen teams have advanced to the group stage, which will occur in four locations for the four different groups – Bologna, Manchester, Valencia and Zhuhai. The top two countries from each group will advance to the knockout rounds, making up a field of eight that will compete in Malaga from November 19 through 24.
Belgium, Brazil, Netherlands and Italy are in a group playing in Bologna. The Valencia quartet features Australia, the Czech Republic, France and Spain. Zhuhai will welcome Chile, Germany, Slovakia and the United States to town. Argentina, Canada, Finland and Great Britain are taking their talents to Manchester. Just when you thought you had enough tennis following a fortnight of U.S. Open action, it should be a wild week on the indoor hard courts of Europe and Asia as those 16 nations battle for prestigious places in Malaga later this fall.
Let's take a look at the best futures to make for the Davis Cup competition.
- AUSTRALIA TO WIN THE DAVIS CUP
- ITALY TO WIN THE DAVIS CUP
- GREAT BRITAIN TO WIN THE DAVIS CUP
Aussies Poised To Get Over The Hump
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.... That’s not entirely true in this case, of course. Australia is No. 2 all-time with 28 Davis Cup titles, trailing only the United States (32). However, it has been 21 years since the Aussies last triumphed – and to say they have come close to adding No. 29 during this drought would be a gross understatement. They finished runner-up each of the past two seasons and, dating back to 2005, have reached three other semifinals and two other quarterfinals.
The 2024 roster is stacked with Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin playing singles. Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson lost in the doubles final at Wimbledon and then won the U.S. Open on Saturday. Amazingly, 10 different countries have won the Davis Cup over the past 10 years. Australia could make it 11 in 11.
AUSTRALIA TO WIN THE DAVIS CUP
Defending Champions Stacked Without Sinner
Italy lifted the Davis Cup trophy in 2023, taking out Novak Djokovic’s Serbian side in the semis before beating Australia in the final. The defending champions won’t have Jannik Sinner at their disposal in the group stage on the heels of his U.S. Open efforts, but it may not matter. They are still stacked with Matteo Berrettini, Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi, to go along with accomplished doubles players, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
If Italy does advance to November, Sinner will presumably be back to play the hero role – just as he did last year.
ITALY TO WIN THE DAVIS CUP
A New Era For British Tennis
No Andy Murray, no problem? The former world No. 1, who led Great Britain to Davis Cup glory in 2015, retired from tennis at the Paris Olympics earlier this summer. However, rising star Jack Draper is coming off a semifinal run at the U.S. Open.
Dan Evans reached the third round in New York, where he played the longest match in tournament history (he beat Karen Khachanov in five hours and 35 minutes in the first round). Doubles specialist Henry Patten captured the Wimbledon title at the beginning of the summer.
GREAT BRITAIN TO WIN THE DAVIS CUP
