Canada defeated Brazil in the Davis Cup Qualifiers First Round at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, BC, after a pair of thrilling singles wins by Gabriel Diallo and Liam Draxl. Draxl clinched the tie in the decisive match, defeating Brazil's Gustavo Heide in straight sets to secure a 3-2 victory.
Diallo redeemed himself on Saturday, drawing Canada level in their Davis Cup Qualifiers First Round tie with Brazil with a gritty three-set win, decided in a third-set tiebreak, over Brazil's Matheus Pucinelli De Almeida.
Team Canada needed to win both singles matches to stay alive after losing the doubles in the opening match of the day to fall behind 2-1. Liam Draxl and Cleeve Harper gave Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos everything they could handle but were ultimately edged out in three tight sets.
CLICK HERE to read about the matches on Saturday.
Draxl struck first for Canada on Friday, beating Brazilian No. 1 Joao Lucas Reis da Silva in straight sets in the opening match. However, Gustavo Heide caused a shock in the second match, upsetting Canadian No. 1 Gabriel Diallo to even things up.
CLICK HERE to read about the matches on Friday.
Results
- Friday, Feb. 6:
- Saturday, Feb. 7:
CLICK HERE to read the draw analysis.
Overview
Team Canada returned to Vancouver for the first time since 2015 this week as they hosted Brazil in the Davis Cup Qualifiers First Round. The tie was played at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
It is the third year in a row that Canada hosted a qualifying tie in February. Team Canada defeated the Republic of Korea in 2024 but lost to Hungary in 2025. Both ties were held at IGA Stadium in Montreal.
The tie was best-of-five matches, with each match being best-of-three sets. Canada advanced to the Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round in September, where they will host France. The venue has not yet been confirmed.
Canada last hosted a tie in Vancouver in 2015, defeating Japan 3-2. This was the fifth Davis Cup tie held in Vancouver in the 21st century. Canada has a 4-1 record in those ties, with the last four trips to the West Coast all being victories.
How to watch
Team Canada’s 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers 1st Round tie against Brazil was broadcasted by TVA Sports and livestreamed on CBC Sports’ YouTube channel.
The Teams
The Canadian team for this tie was nearly identical to the one that dominated the Davis Cup World Group I last September. Gabriel Diallo, Liam Draxl, Alexis Galarneau, and Cleeve Harperall returned, as did captain Frank Dancevic. The only change for the 2026 Qualifiers First Round was the addition of Nicolas Arseneault, who earned his first nomination to the Davis Cup team.
CLICK HERE to meet the members of Team Canada.
In his pre-tournament press conference, captain Dancevic expressed excitement about his young team and reminisced about his career highlights playing Davis Cup at this very venue in Vancouver. CLICK HERE to see what Dancevic said.
Photo : Sarah-Jade Champagne
Brazil were the underdogs on paper. They were the 18th-ranked team in the Davis Cup competition and did not have a Top 200 singles player in their lineup in Vancouver. Without world No. 32 Joao Fonseca, No. 207 Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva was to be the Brazilian No. 1. He was joined by No. 241 Gustavo Heidi and No. 297 Matheus Pucinelli De Almeida. The visitors did have some strength in doubles, with world No. 43 Rafael Matos and No. 59 Orlando Luz rounding out the team. Jaime Oncins was the captain.
CLICK HERE to meet the members of Team Brazil.
This was the first meeting between Canada and Brazil since 2007 and the seventh overall. Brazil led the head-to-head 4-2 andhad won that most-recent meeting 18 years ago 3-1 on clay in Brazil. Only one of the previous six encounters was won by the road team. That was back in 1957 when the Brazilians won 3-2 in Montreal on grass. Every subsequent tie was won by the home team, with all three of Brazil’s wins coming on clay and both of Canada’s being on indoor hard courts, the same surface as this year’s tie.
Social Corner
Click the links below to check out what Team Canada is up to in Vancouver:
- Take a stroll around the stadium
- Meet Nicolas Arseneault
- Scenes from practice
- I don't trust you if...
- Flip your hand without turning your wrist
- What Winter Olympic sport would these Team Canada athletes be competing in?
- It's all about concentration ahead of this tie for Team Canada
- How would a giraffe wear pants?
- Still riding that Davis Cup high
2025 Davis Cup
Canada was hoping to avoid a repeat of their heartbreaking loss in the 2025 Qualifiers First Round at IGA Stadium in Montreal. The hosts got off to a slow start against Hungary, losing both singles matches on the opening day. They fought back to level the tie at 2-2 thanks to a doubles win from Draxl and Vasek Pospisil and a singles upset for Diallo, but Marton Fucsovics defeated Galarneau to send the hosts to the World Group I.
In September, Canada cruised past Israel, losing just one set in a 4-0 sweep to get back in the Qualifiers in 2026. Diallo, Draxl, and Harper all had singles wins, while Draxl and Harper added a doubles victory.
Qualifiers First Round: Hungary d. Canada 3-2
- Day 1: Hungary Leads Canada After Two Singles Wins at Davis Cup
- Day 2: Hungary Denies Canada’s Comeback Bid to Claim Davis Cup Qualifier
- Full tie recap
World Group I: Canada d. Israel 4-0
- Day 1: Diallo, Draxl Put Canada Up 2-0 at Davis Cup in Halifax
- Day 2: Draxl, Harper Clinch the Win for Canada at Davis Cup in Halifax
Feature Photo : Sarah-Jade Champagne
