The Davis Cup has made its return, with all eyes now turning to the finals in Bologna, which take place in November.
Italy are the two-time Davis Cup defending champions, defeating the Netherlands and Australia in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
They will be out to win a third successive title later this year, while 32-time champions USA have failed to make the cut.
Ben Shelton watched the USA as they took on Czechia in second round qualifiers, where they lost 3-2 in Florida.
Frances Tiafoe continued his poor Davis Cup record, with his teammate Taylor Fritz also unable to avoid the upset on home soil.
The only two players with 100 Davis Cup ties played
No country has more Davis Cup titles than the USA, although it is other nations who are represented when it comes to the most ties played.
Just two players have surpassed the 100-tie mark at the Davis Cup, led by Omar Alawadhi’s 102 for the United Arab Emirates.
And he is closely followed in the all-time leaderboard by Domenico Vicini, who played 100 ties for San Marino.
Each Davis Cup tie consists of five rubbers, with three or more wins from the five matches needed for glory, with the finals ties then involving best-of-three rubbers.
| Player | Total W-L | Singles W-L | Doubles W-L | No. of Ties |
| Omar Alawadhi (UAE) | 104-54 | 66-33 | 38-21 | 102 |
| Domenico Vicini (SMR) | 65-78 | 47-29 | 18-49 | 100 |
The top five nations with the most Davis Cup titles
The Davis Cup provides a welcome break for many ATP players after the US Open, which recently concluded in New York.
Champion Carlos Alcaraz is among the players benefiting, having decided to miss out on representing Spain in their tie with Denmark.
But several high-profile players have been involved in the latest stage of qualifying for the Final 8, including Alex de Minaur and Holger Rune.
The prestigious competition began all the way back in 1900, when the USA emerged victorious in Boston.
| Nation | Titles | First | Last |
| United States | 32 | 1900 | 2007 |
| Australasia/Australia | 28 | 1907 | 2003 |
| British Isles/Great Britain | 10 | 1903 | 2015 |
| France | 10 | 1927 | 2017 |
| Sweden | 7 | 1975 | 1998 |
Throughout its entire history, a total of 16 nations have lifted the trophy at the tournament, which now concludes in Bologna, Italy.
Previously, Malaga played host to the finals in the last three seasons, with Italy winning twice after Canada’s victory in 2022.
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