It has been more than 50 years since Quebec City got to watch Canada’s Davis Cup team compete, so it feels fitting that a local boy will lead Team Canada presented by IGA back into the capital of La Belle Province for the first time in half a century.
World No. 5 Félix Auger-Aliassime will spearhead the hosts’ bid to get back to the Davis Cup Final 8 after missing out a year ago. He is joined by new Team Canada stalwart Liam Draxl and first-time nominees Duncan Chan and Keegan Rice.
Let’s meet the men trying to punch Team Canada’s ticket to Bologna.
Félix Auger-Aliassime
- Rank: 5
- Davis Cup Appearance: 8th
- Davis Cup Record: 13-4
- 2026 Record: 32-15
The Canadian No. 1’s first Davis Cup appearance in two years will be a special one. Auger-Aliassime will lead Team Canada this week in the town he was raised, even getting to practice in the lead-up to the weekend’s matches at his childhood club.
Auger-Aliassime last suited up for Canada in September 2024 in the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage in Manchester, where he won all four of his matches in straight sets. He is currently on a 12-match winning streak in Davis Cup competition (singles and doubles), having not lost since the opening match of the 2022 Finals Group Stage in Valencia, Spain, against the Republic of Korea.
2026 has been one of Auger-Aliassime's best years on the ATP Tour. In February, he won his ninth title on the ATP Tour, breaking the record for most singles titles by a Canadian on the main tour. He then reached back-to-back Grand Slam quarter-finals at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon. The 26-year-old has spent the entire year so far in the Top 10, with all but one week being spent in the Top 8.
Liam Draxl
- Rank: 205
- Davis Cup Appearance: 5th
- Davis Cup Record: 5-1
- 2026 Record: 31-22 (All Levels)
In February in Vancouver, Draxl was the hero against Brazil, winning both of his singles matches, including a dramatic fifth and deciding match where he overcame an apparent ankle injury to clinch the tie for Canada.
With Gabriel Diallo forced to withdraw with an injury, the Newmarket, ON-native once again looks primed for a big role on Team Canada. While official nominations for the matches will take place on Thursday, Draxl enters the tie as the second-highest-ranked Canadian singles player and the top doubles player. That means three matches for Draxl, which he did in Vancouver, seems like a real possibility once again.
While he is titleless in 2026, Draxl has put in a number of notable performances. In January, he qualified for his first Grand Slam main draw at the Australian Open and then qualified at a Masters 1000 for the first time in Miami in March. He reached his first final of the season in July at the ATP Challenger event in Winnipeg and just reached the third round of US Open qualifying a few weeks ago.
Duncan Chan
- Rank: 487
- Davis Cup Appearance: 1st
- 2026 Record: 8-8 (Singles, All Professional Levels)
Fans in the province of Quebec are probably more familiar with Chan than anywhere else in the country. The 21-year-old just had his breakout run on the ATP Tour in doubles at the National Bank Open in Montreal, reaching the quarter-finals with compatriot Alexis Galarneau. The Markhamite also qualified for singles in Montreal to make his ATP main-draw debut.
Chan is a relative newbie to the professional circuit, with just under 50 matches on the various pro tours, but that is because he has spent the last few years tearing it up for Texas Christian University (TCU) in the NCAA. He won the NCAA DI National Team Championship with TCU in 2024 and in the 2025-26 season, he finished the year as the top Canadian in the American collegiate system ranked No. 7 in singles and No. 3 in doubles, the lone Canadian ranked in the Top 10 in both disciplines.
When he has played professional events, Chan has had some success, particularly on home soil. He reached his first ATP Challenger singles final at the end of 2025 in Drummondville, QC, and just last month had a great performance in the very same city where Team Canada is competing this week, reaching the ATP Challenger doubles final at the Challenger Banque Nationale de Quebec with compatriot Justin Boulais.
Keegan Rice
- Rank: 578
- Davis Cup Appearance: 1st
- 2026 Record: 9-5 (Singles, All Professional Levels)
A strong summer at home events helped earn the 20-year-old a spot on Team Canada for the first time in his career, filling in for the injured Diallo.
Like Chan, Rice is quite new to the professional circuit because he has been spending his time playing in the NCAA. 2026 was a breakout year for the sophomore at the University of Virginia. He went 35-6 in singles, helping the Cavaliers claim the NCAA DI national team title. The Regina, SK native finished the year at No. 12 in the DI singles rankings.
This summer served as a bit of a breakthrough for Rice on the pro circuit. He reached his first professional final in July at the M25 event in Laval, QC, beating his now-teammate Draxl on his way to the final. Later that same month, he reached the semifinals of the ATP Challenger event in Vancouver, the best result of his career at the Challenger level.
The nominations and draw for the tie will be made on Thursday. Play begins at the Videotron Centre on Friday.
CLICK HERE for everything you need to know about the Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round tie in Quebec City between Canada and France.
The Davis Cup is coming to Quebec City September 18 and 19 as Team Canada hosts France in the Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round. Tickets are on sale now. CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS!
Feature Photo: Martin Sidorjak
