2023 Davis Cup: All you need to know
Here, we look at all you need to know ahead of the Davis Cup getting underway on Tuesday.
Some of the best players in the world of tennis are set to represent their respective countries in one of the sport’s most famous and prestigious tournaments. The Group Stages of the 2023 Davis Cup are set to begin on Tuesday 12th September, with the action coming to a close on Sunday 17th September, which is the sixth and final day of play.
The Davis Cup has a history spanning more than 120 years. The inaugural tournament occurred in 1900 when the United States took on Great Britain at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston. The idea for the tournament came a year earlier in 1899 when four members of the Harvard University tennis team wanted to organise a match between the United States and Great Britain. The Americans won the first Davis Cup, winning 3 – 0.
They won again in 1902, where they were 3 – 2 winners against Britain. In the following tournament in 1903, Great Britain won their first Davis Cup, beating the United States 4 – 1.
After initially being known as the International Lawn Tennis Challenge, the name was changed to the Davis Cup soon after. The name came from the trophy that was called the Dwight Davis’s Trophy, which William Durgin designed.
An expansion of the Davis Cup took place in 1905, with France, Austria, Belgium and Australasia taking part for the first time. The Australasia team was made up of both Australian and New Zealand players. From the 1930s, only the United States, Great Britain and Australia won the Davis Cup until South Africa emerged victorious in 1974. The number of nations competing had expanded back in 1969 to 50.
It was in 1981 that the format was changed again, with a 16-nation world group being created with the remaining nations being split into regional zone groups with promotion and relegation on offer for all nations. Fast forward to 1993, and the Davis Cup expanded to 100 nations.
The current format of 18 nations competing at one venue to be crowned world champions was introduced in 2019. The most recent winner was Canada, who beat Australia 2 – 0 in 2022.
The most successful nation in Davis Cup history is the United States, with 32 wins, followed by Australia/Australasia (28), Great Britain (10), France (10) and Sweden (7).
Now, in 2023, the Groups for this year’s Davis Cup are as follows:
Group A (Bologna): Sweden, Chile, Canada and Italy.
Group B (Manchester): France, Switzerland, Australia and Great Britain.
Group C (Valencia): Serbia, South Korea, Czech Republic and Spain.
Group D (Split): Netherlands, Finland, Croatia and United States.
The group stages of the 2023 Davis Cup are set to be hosted in a number of famous cities throughout Europe, including Manchester, where the likes of Andy Murray, Lleyton Hewitt, Sebastian Grosjean and Severin Luthi are set to compete at the AO Arena for a spot in the final eight. The matches that are set to be played in Manchester are as follows:
- France v Switzerland (Tuesday 12th September)
- Australia v Great Britain (Wednesday 13th September)
- Australia v France (Thursday 14th September)
- Great Britain v Switzerland (Friday 15th September)
- Australia v Switzerland (Saturday 16th September)
- Great Britain v France (Sunday 17th September)
With the latest Davis Cup set to get underway on Tuesday, fans’ excitement levels are high, with some of the best players in the world competing for one of the sport’s most prestigious honours.
There is no better way to enjoy the 2023 Davis Cup than with an Eventmasters VIP Hospitality Package. Book now to avoid disappointment.
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