The Davis Cup have already confirmed a significant change they’ll make for the 2026 event

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Italy will look to win their fourth successive title when the Davis Cup takes place with a difference next year.

Jannik Sinner was absent for Italy at the Davis Cup Finals this year, as well as their second-highest-ranked singles player Lorenzo Musetti.

However, this did not appear to make an ounce of difference, with Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Berrettini winning the Davis Cup for Italy this year.

After Italy beat Spain in the Davis Cup final in Bologna, a change has been confirmed for the event next year.

President of Italian Tennis confirms a big change for Davis Cup next year

The Davis Cup has received a lot of backlash for some of its rulings in recent years, particularly related to the reduction of home-and-away ties.

This year has seen the Davis Cup make more of a U-turn on this, adding more home-and-away ties to the format, as well as hosting the ‘Final 8’ in Bologna, Italy for the first time.

There have been some questions over Italy being the host nation of the Davis Cup Finals, with this year’s event being held at the SuperTennis Arena, which was a temporary structure.

Bologna is set to host the Davis Cup Finals until 2027, and the Italian Tennis President Angelo Binaghi has confirmed that next year the event will move to a new arena in the city, as he hinted at potentially hosting it in Italy for longer than the next two years.

“Yes, we’ve been assured it will be ready,” Binaghi told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “We’ll have a beautiful arena, built just a few meters from the temporary structure that hosted this year’s event.

“The capacity will be slightly larger (10,500 seats), but above all, the facility will be much more functional because, unlike this year’s solution, it is naturally suited to a sporting event.

“Staying here in Bologna for another two years, and hopefully a few more, will also enhance our expertise, as we work directly with the Municipality of Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna Region to organize and prepare such a large-scale event. It will also teach all the stakeholders who work with us to approach issues in an increasingly professional manner.”

Angelo Binaghi reveals his goal for Italian tennis in 2026

It has been a dominant period for Italian tennis on both the men’s and women’s sides, with Jasmine Paolini leading Italy to Billie Jean King Cup victory for the past two years.

When asked about his goals for the future of Italian tennis, Binaghi cited Paolini’s victory at the Italian Open, and revealed his wish for an Italian man to become the first singles champion in Rome since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

“I wouldn’t call it a goal, but rather objectives, plural,” said Binaghi. “After Jasmine Paolini’s triumph last May, we need to win the Italian Open men’s tournament, something we haven’t done in 50 years, and throw another big celebration like this.

“Sinner must then return to number one, Musetti must break into the top 4-5. [Sara] Errani must play her whole life. And we still expect a lot from Jasmine. There’s an incredible atmosphere here that we need to capitalize on.” 

After winning the ATP Finals to end his season, Sinner knows when he can overtake Carlos Alcaraz as world number one.

Italy will look to continue their dominance in both singles and team competition next year, starting in January for the 2026 Australian Open.