Credits: https://www.lta.org.uk/495135/siteassets/news/2024/march/2023-davis-cup-team-manchester.jpg?w=1920
The world’s best men’s tennis players will be on show in Manchester in September as the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage return.
The draw for the final 16 group stage which took place in London yesterday, sees Great Britain face Argentina, Canada and Finland.
Leon Smith, Captain of Team GB said: “We were expecting a tough challenge whatever group we were drawn in. Canada are 2022 champs, Finland were semi-finalists last year and Argentina won the title in 2016 and have good depth in their team. But we also have very good players and have proven time and again we can deliver as a team. So it’s a fairly even group on paper.”
The Davis Cup returned to Manchester last year for the first time since 1994, and straightaway set a new British attendance record with 13,000 spectators watching the group’s final match against France.
“Our team are really excited to be going back to Manchester where we had such amazing support and this makes a massive difference when it comes to getting GB over the line,” added Smith.
Along with Manchester, Bologna, Valencia and Zhuhai in China will be the other host cities. In every group, four nations will be fighting for two spots in the Final8 knock-out tournament which will take place in Malaga between November 19-24.
The LTA Director of Major Events and Digital, Chris Pollard said: “We are delighted to bring the Davis Cup back to Manchester again. We saw first-hand how the fans embraced it and how their support helped our team win their group in 2023.
“We are looking forward to working with our partners at Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester to make the event even bigger and better this year, helping open up our sport to many more people.”
Manchester is the fifth British city to host Davis Cup over the last 11 years after Coventry, Glasgow, London and Birmingham.
Victoria Braddock, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, said: “With Manchester’s rich legacy in tennis, we are poised to deliver an unparalleled experience for tennis fans across the world.”
Lexus Team GB will be hoping to repeat the success of 2015 when they won the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years.
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council said: “We know how much excitement the tournament generated across Manchester – particularly amongst the youngest tennis players at our clubs and parks – and we’ll be looking to further build on this legacy of inspiration.”
Great Britain came close to repeating their 2015 success in 2019 when they lost in the semi-finals to eventual champions Spain.
The LTA will be announcing when tickets go on sale “in due course”.