Overview
Team Canada returns to Vancouver for the first time since 2015 this week as they host Brazil in the Davis Cup Qualifiers First Round. The tie will be played at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
It is the third year in a row that Canada is hosting 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 will be best-of-five matches, with each match being best-of-three sets. The winning nation will advance to the Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round in September. If Canada wins, they are guaranteed to host the next tie, although the venue has not yet been confirmed. The winner of this tie will face France or Slovakia in the next round. The loser will compete in the World Group I in September.
Canada last hosted a tie in Vancouver in 2015, defeating Japan 3-2. This will be the fourth Davis Cup tie held in Vancouver in the 21st century. Canada has a 3-1 record in those ties, with the last three trips to the West Coast all being victories.
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Schedule
- Friday, Feb. 6: Two singles matches
- Doors open: 3:00 pm PST
- Matches start: 4:00 pm PST (7:00 EST)
- Saturday, Feb. 7: A doubles match, followed by at least one singles match. If necessary, a second singles match will determine the final outcome.
- Doors open: 12:00 pm PST
- Matches start: 1:00 pm PST (4:00 EST)
The Teams
The Canadian team for this tie is nearly identical to the one that dominated the Davis Cup World Group I last September. Gabriel Diallo, Liam Draxl, Alexis Galarneau, and Cleeve Harper are all returning, as is captain Frank Dancevic. The only change for the 2026 Qualifiers First Round is the addition of Nicolas Arseneault, who earned his first nomination to the Davis Cup team.
CLICK HERE to meet the members of Team Canada.
Brazil are the underdogs on paper. They are the 18th-ranked team in the Davis Cup competition and will 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 projects to be the Brazilian No. 1. He is joined by No. 241 Gustavo Heidi and No. 297 Matheus Pucinelli De Almeida. The visitors do have some strength in doubles, with world No. 43 Rafael Matos and No. 59 Orlando Luz rounding out the team. Jaime Oncins is the captain.
This will be the first meeting between Canada and Brazil since 2007 and the seventh overall. Brazil leads the head-to-head 4-2 and 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.
2025 Davis Cup
Canada will be 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
The Davis Cup returns to Canada in February as Canada hosts Brazil in the Qualifiers First Round in Vancouver, Feb. 6-7 at UBC's Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Tickets are on sale. Get yours now!
Feature Photo : Pascal Ratthe
