Photo: Martin Sidorjak
On Thursday, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced that Canada has been chosen as a replacement wild card and will compete in the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals in September. As the highest-ranked losing nation at the 2022 Qualifiers, Canada (world No. 6) will participate in their third consecutive Finals.
The ITF also announced that Bologna (Italy), Glasgow (Great Britain), Hamburg (Germany), and Malaga (Spain) are going to host the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals. The draw for the group stage will take place on March 31 at 10 a.m. ET, and will be streamed on the Davis Cup YouTube channel.
The 16 nations competing at the 2022 Davis Cup Finals are Croatia (2021 finalists), Serbia (2021 semi-finalists), Great Britain (wild card), Canada (wild card), and the winners of the 2022 Qualifiers: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea Republic, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the USA.
Last month, the ITF revealed that for the first time, the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals would be held in September, from September 14-18, 2022. The top two teams from each group will then play in the knock-out-stage of the Davis Cup Finals at a yet-to-be-announced venue from November 23-27, 2022. Details regarding which country will play in Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg, or Malaga will be confirmed during the draw.
David Haggerty, ITF President, said: “I would like to congratulate the four winning host nations on their successful bids. As a key priority of the ITF 2024 strategy, we are very proud of how far the Davis Cup has come through its rich history. We are committed to the future success of the event, while retaining the traditional elements of what is the Men’s World Cup of Tennis. This includes its unique atmosphere and showcasing the event throughout the year at different cities across the world, bringing Davis Cup to more audiences.”
Information about the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals can be found here.