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Everything is set for the event. From now until November 24, Malaga will host the Davis Cup Final 8. Fresh off his historic victory at the ATP Finals in Turin, Jannik Sinner is ready to lead Italy in the season's final showdown. The Italian team, which includes Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Berrettini, will aim to defend the title won last year, and they enter the competition as favorites for several reasons.
Seeded No. 1 in the upper bracket, Italy will play its first match on Thursday, November 21, against Argentina at 5:00 PM. Should they win, Sinner and his teammates will face either the United States or Australia in the semifinals on Saturday, November 23. In the lower bracket, hosts Spain will face the Netherlands in another quarterfinal, while Canada and Germany will complete the lineup on Wednesday, November 20, starting at 12:00 PM.
The much-anticipated final is scheduled for Sunday, November 24. The Italian Davis Cup team captain, Filippo Volandri, has placed his trust in Sinner, Musetti, and Berrettini (the latter two competing for the second singles slot) and the doubles pairing of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. Flavio Cobolli, Lorenzo Sonego, and Matteo Arnaldi are not part of the squad.
The Davis Cup is historically the most prestigious team trophy in tennis alongside Wimbledon. Established in 1900 as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge, it was conceived by Harvard University students who challenged their British counterparts to a match.
The first two editions, held in 1900 and 1902, were won by Harvard. Subsequently, Great Britain dominated the next four tournaments. Over time, the competition expanded to include other nations like Australia and New Zealand, which competed together as "Australasia," winning five editions, including four consecutive titles from 1907 to 1911.
World War I caused a hiatus from 1915 to 1919, after which Australasia claimed another title. The partnership between Australia and New Zealand ended soon after, leading to an American dominance until 1927, when France began its streak of six consecutive victories. The tournament continued to be a battleground for the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
After a break due to World War II, the tournament was renamed the Davis Cup in honor of Dwight Davis, one of its founders who personally financed the silver trophy. From the mid-20th century onward, the competition was largely dominated by Americans and Australians. A pivotal year was 1974, when South Africa broke the American-Australian duopoly, winning the Cup in a non-final against India, which boycotted the match in protest against apartheid.
From that point, the Davis Cup saw a period of greater balance, with various nations claiming the title. Italy won its first Davis Cup in 1976 in Chile and reached the final seven more times, losing each time. Only last year, in Malaga, did Italy return to victory, defeating Australia in the final. Since 2000, Spain has been particularly dominant, winning six editions.
Between 2009 and 2015, Davis Cup victories also awarded ATP ranking points. Major changes to the competition’s format were introduced in 2019, transforming it from a knockout-style tournament into a tennis world championship. The competition now begins with qualifying rounds in March, followed by group stages in September, and concludes with a knockout bracket from the quarterfinals to the final in November. Matches are best-of-three sets, and each tie consists of two singles and one doubles match.
Following a COVID-induced hiatus, Russia won the 2021 tournament, with Canada claiming the title in 2022. The United States remains the most successful team in Davis Cup history, with 32 titles (the last in 2007). Australia ranks second with 22 wins (most recently in 2003), followed by the United Kingdom with 10 (last in 2015). Other notable winners include Sweden (7 titles), Australasia and Spain (6 each), and Germany and Russia (3 each). Italy has two titles, tied with the Czech Republic and Croatia. Switzerland, Serbia, South Africa, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, and Canada each have one.
A fun fact for Italy: Nicola Pietrangeli holds the world record for most Davis Cup matches played, with 164 matches (78 singles and 42 doubles wins).
