The Davis Cup is men’s tennis’s flagship international team competition. Nations compete head-to-head, with captains selecting players for singles and doubles matches that determine who advances through the year-long structure.
In its current structure, the competition combines home-and-away ties early in the season with a season-ending Finals stage that crowns the champion.
What a Davis Cup “Tie” Is
A Davis Cup matchup between two countries is called a tie. A tie is played over two days, with multiple matches (called rubbers) deciding the winner.
In Qualifiers and World Group ties, the tie is a best-of-five matches format:
- Day 1: two singles matches
- Day 2: one doubles match, then two reverse singles matches
The first nation to win three matches wins the tie. All matches are played as best-of-three tiebreak sets in the current Davis Cup structure.
How Team Selection Works
Each nation names a squad for the tie. Captains choose:
- the two singles players for Day 1
- the doubles team
- the singles players for the reverse singles on Day 2
Lineups can change across the tie based on form, matchups, and fitness.
The Competition Structure: Qualifiers to Finals
The modern Davis Cup has multiple layers, but the headline path looks like this:
1) Qualifiers (home-and-away ties)
Nations play knockout ties at home or away to advance. In 2026, the Qualifiers are played in two rounds of home-and-away ties across the year.
2) Finals (season-ending championship)
The top nations then meet at the Davis Cup Finals stage (often called the Final 8), which determines the champion. Recent Finals formats have used a short-form tie structure at the Finals stage compared with the two-day Qualifiers.
Why Davis Cup Feels Different From Tour Tennis
Davis Cup is not an ATP tournament. It’s a national-team event where:
- teammates coach and support each other courtside
- captains make tactical lineup decisions
- doubles can decide the entire tie
- home crowds and travel can swing outcomes
It’s closer to a World Cup model than a weekly tour stop.
Scoring and Tiebreak Rules
- Matches are best-of-three sets
- Standard tiebreaks apply in sets that reach 6–6
- The tie ends as soon as a nation reaches three match wins in the two-day format
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players are on a Davis Cup team?
Teams typically name a squad that covers singles and doubles options, selected by the captain under Davis Cup regulations.
Is Davis Cup best-of-five sets?
Not in the current structure. Davis Cup matches are played best-of-three sets.
Is Davis Cup home and away?
Yes in the Qualifiers and World Group ties: one nation hosts the other.
How does a country win the tie?
By winning three matches in the five-match (two-day) tie format
