Groningen, Sydney, Tokyo, Marbella, Debrecen, Delray Beach, Osijek. If you’re wrapping up a late Mediterranean holiday or weaving through Tokyo’s busy streets, this weekend is prime time for some tennis drama.
What links these cities? They’re hosting one of the sport’s most passionate events: the Davis Cup — tennis’s closest thing to a World Cup. Here, crowds cheer for country over individual, and the team spirit breaks the rhythm of the Grand Slam grind. This year’s winners will join defending champions Italy at the Final 8 in Bologna (18–23 November) to decide the 2025 title.
The Cup’s magic isn’t about assembling every ‘hottest name’ on tour, but those fit, in-form, and hungry to wear national colours in the off-days between Grand Slams. In a sport that often feels like a celebration of individuals, singular styles and private coaching boxes, the Davis Cup flips the script. Here, teammates with a shared nationality urge each other on, trade advice and grind out ties to reach the finals. This year, the Final 8 will join defending champions — Italy — in Bologna to fight for the 2025 title in front of a euphoric crowd.
The 2025 Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round runs 12–14 September, with seven home-and-away ties, each played over best-of-five matches across two days (four singles and one doubles; best-of-three sets per match). Winners will advance to the Final 8 whereas losers drop to next year’s first round.
In Delray Florida, the US will be hosting the Czech federation. Expect American heroes Taylor Fritz [5] and Frances Tiafoe [29] to lead the show against Czech names such as Jiri Lehecka, Jakub Mensik. Luckily for them, the US Open was only a few states away, so their physique will be spared from travelling around the world. Unlike in other face-offs, the US encounter will be played on outdoor hard courts in front of an All-American atmosphere.
The Dutch city, Groningen, will host the Argentine delegation, who have firepower with Francisco Cerundolo, Tomas Etcheverry and the best doubles players Zeballos (recent US Open champion) and Molteni. In front of a less favored local — none of their players are amongst the top 20 — the Southern team is the favourite. Yet, Dutch fandom is well known for its conditioning atmosphere, especially since the two countries’ rivalry spiralled at the 2022 World Cup.
Marbella is a city well known for its beaches, luxury hotels and an affluent worldwide elite. This weekend, it’s the tennis that joins the show of the Andalucian coastal town, and it’s not set to disappoint. Spain will not be counting on Carlos Alcaraz, who’s taken some time off to recover — and enjoy — his spectacular US Open championship. Pressure will be on Jaume Munar, the Balearic right-hander who’s been on his best season yet. He’ll be lifting his nation against Denmark’s Holger Rune on clay courts — a favourable condition for the locals — in what will prove to be a very close, hard-fought duel.
Jump to the other side of the world, and you might be able to catch Alex de Minaur or Alexei Popyrin in Sydney, swooshing past their Belgian counterparts. The Ozzies are clear favourites on home turf — something local fans would appreciate before their long-awaited Slam that will take place in January 2026.
Other Davis Cup duels to reach the Final 8 feature Germany vs Japan in Tokyo, and Hungary vs Austria in Debrecen.
