Davis Cup Future in Doubt Amid Star Absences and Format Concerns

Davis Cup Faces Uncertain Future as Top Players Stay Away

The Davis Cup Finals in Bologna began with a surprise Belgian win over France, but the tournament’s opening day was overshadowed by growing concerns over the event’s future format—amid a wave of withdrawals from top-ranked players.

Belgium’s Raphael Collignon, ranked 86th, upset world number 35 Corentin Moutet 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, giving his side a valuable edge in their opening tie. A second win by Zizou Bergs could seal victory and send Belgium to the semi-finals.

Injuries and Recovery Time Keep Big Names Out

The absence of Carlos Alcaraz (injury) and Jannik Sinner (rest) means Germany’s Alexander Zverev is the only top-10 ATP player competing this week.

While some like Alcaraz are sidelined by injury, others—like Sinner—have opted to prioritize recovery ahead of the six-week off-season.

Both have suggested a biennial Davis Cup to ease calendar congestion and improve player participation.

ITF Open to Discussions on Format Change

Ross Hutchins, CEO of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), confirmed discussions will be held with top players to examine the Davis Cup’s current structure:

“I do have very close relations with the top players and the governing bodies… I will have those conversations and we can take it from there.”

The Davis Cup has traditionally been an annual event for 125 years. However, the new-look Finals, introduced in recent seasons, have struggled to maintain top-tier participation.

On-Court Drama: Belgium Take Advantage

On court, Collignon’s comeback win was marked by a moment of frustration from Moutet, whose unnecessary trick shot at 15-30 in the second set handed the momentum back to Belgium. Collignon later sealed the win after five break-point chances in the final set.

Belgium will meet the winner of Italy vs Austria in Friday’s semi-final.

Elsewhere in the draw:

• Spain face Czech Republic

• Germany meet Argentina

Where is Team GB?

Great Britain are absent from the 2025 Davis Cup Finals after a 3-2 defeat to Japan in February’s qualifiers. They kept hopes alive with a win over Poland in an eliminator in September.

Doubles stars Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool—now the world’s year-end number one pair—have called on Britain to prove they deserve to compete among the elite in 2026.

“We have a lot of very good players. [The Finals] is where we deserve to be – but you have to earn that every year,” Cash told BBC Sport.

Britain last lifted the Davis Cup in 2015, inspired by Andy Murray, and reached the quarter-finals in both 2021 and 2023.