It has been over a decade since Canada’s Davis Cup team last played in Vancouver. The oldest member of the 2026 team that is taking on Brazil this week in the Qualifiers First Round, Alexis Galarneau, was in high school during that February 2015 tie. The youngest team member, Nicolas Arseneault, was just eight years old.
But one person who knows the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre well is Team Canada captain Frank Dancevic. And the captain is very glad to be back.
"We always loved coming out to Vancouver. This is a place we always love to play as a team,” said Dancevic during his pre-event press conference on Tuesday. “We always had amazing support. We were really excited when we found out that we were going to come back here to play in Vancouver. It was a no-brainer to say ‘it's going to work out great, and let's go and play here.’ So we're super excited for the weekend.”
As a player, Dancevic participated in three ties for Canada on the very court where his team is competing this week. Canada won two of those three ties, including an upset of powerhouses Spain in 2013, where Dancevic scored a crucial upset win over Marcel Granollers, who was ranked over 120 spots higher at the time, to put the hosts up 2-0.
Dancevic at the 2013 Davis Cup in Vancouver. Photo : Tennis Canada
That eventual 3-2 victory over Spain kicked off Canada’s inspiring run to the 2013 semifinals, the nation’s best result in a century.
“It was a little surreal," said Dancevic of being back at this venue. “Yesterday I walked onto the center court and just [had] flashbacks from all the great ties we've had here back in the day.”
Read also: Vancouver Getting Introduced to Canada’s New Davis Cup Generation - Meet the Team
And that positive experience is something the captain is excited to share with his young team, all of whom have only played home ties in Eastern Canada, if they have played any at all.
“It's one thing I experienced myself, the crowd, the ambience. And it’s something I've already brought up to the players and said, ‘use the crowd, use the ambience. People in this city, they love the game, they love tennis, and you're going to get their support.’ So it's definitely something that we can use to our advantage.”
Overall, Canada played four ties at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in the 2010s, winning three of them. They lost to France in the 2012 World Group First Round before defeating Spain and Italy back-to-back in 2013. In 2015, the Canucks scored their third win in a row at the venue, defeating Japan.
During the press conference, Dancevic spoke about his young team, whose oldest player is just 26 years old, and what an exciting time it is to be part of Team Canada.
Read also: Milos Raonic’s Greatest Moments at the National Bank Open
“I really like that we have a young team coming up. They are the next generation of young Canadians. This is the beginning of the new era, the young guys who are going to take over in the future for Team Canada. So it's pretty exciting for me to be part of that as well. It's fun to see these young guys starting their careers and are excited to play Davis Cup, excited to come out here and play for their country.”
Dancevic talked about the team dynamic and how he and Vasek Pospisil, who is part of the support team this week in Vancouver, are sharing their experience with the young players.
“We share stories. They [the players] ask questions. It's all part of the team chemistry and bonding and everything. And, you know, telling stories about the past and what we've accomplished, and the fails we've had, it's part of Davis Cup. It's part of the journey. It's all great.”
Team Canada is contesting its third straight February qualifying tie at home. They beat the Republic of Korea in 2024 before falling to Hungary in 2025. Both of those ties were held at IGA Stadium.
The best-of-five-match tie will begin on Friday. The winner advances to September’s Qualifiers Second Round.
CLICK HERE for everything you need to know about the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers First Round.
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 : Sarah-Jade Champagne
