2020–21 Davis Cup Explained

The 2020–21 Davis Cup was the 109th edition of the Davis Cup, a tournament between national teams in men's tennis. It was sponsored by Rakuten.^[1] For this edition, the format of the cup was changed.^[2] The new format saw the creation of a Davis Cup World Group I and World Group II which was played on a worldwide basis and replaced the regional Group I and Group II. As a result, the Davis Cup nations ranking was no longer used to determine which group a nation was played in. Previous the 2019, and the 2021 finals host Spain were the defending champions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on 26 June 2020 the ITF announced that the 2020 finals would take place from 22 until 28 November 2021. In addition, 24 World Group I and World Group II ties were postponed to March and September 2021, and the 2020 regional Group III and Group IV events were also postponed to 2021. The 18 nations that qualified for the finals kept their standing for the next year.^[3]

Davis Cup Finals

See main article: article and 2021 Davis Cup Finals. Date: 25 November–5 December 2021
Venue: Madrid Arena, Madrid, Spain
Olympiahalle, Innsbruck, Austria
Pala Alpitour, Turin, Italy^[4] ^[5]
Surface: Hard court (indoor)

18 nations took part in the finals, formerly known as World Group. The qualification was as follows:

4 semifinalists of the previous edition
2 wild card teams (announced by ITF on 23 November 2019 as France and Serbia)^[6]
12 winners of a qualifier round, in March 2020

H = Host nation, TH = Title holder, WC = Wild card

Participating teams
width=17%	width=17%	(H)	width=17%		width=17%		width=17%	width=17%
width=17%	width=17%	(WC)	width=17%		width=17%		width=17%	width=17%	(H)
width=17%	width=17%	RTF	width=17%	(WC)	width=17%	(H, TH)	width=17%	width=17%

Seeds

The seedings were based on the Nations ranking of 9 March.^[7]

Nations ranking as of 9 March 2020.^[8]

Qualifying round

See main article: article and 2020 Davis Cup qualifying round.

Date: 6–7 March 2020^[9]

Twenty-six eligible teams were:

14 teams ranked 5th-18th in the Finals.
12 winning teams from their Group I zone.

Two wild cards for the Finals were selected from these 26 nations. and were announced prior to the Qualifiers draw. The remaining 24 nations competed in head-to-head matches, with the 12 winning teams to play at the Finals and the 12 losing teams to play at the World Group I in 2022.

The Davis Cup Qualifiers draw took place on 24 November 2019 at La Caja Mágica.

Seeded teams

Unseeded teams:

Home team	Away team	Venue	Surface
[1]			Hard (i)	^[10]
	[2]		Clay (i)	^[11]
	[3]	Palacio de los Deportes	Clay (i)	^[12]
[4]			Hard (i)	^[13]
[5]			Hard	^[14]
[6]		Circolo Tennis Cagliari	Clay	^[15]
[7]		Castello Düsseldorf	Hard (i)	^[16]
[8]			Hard (i)	^[17]
	[9]		Clay (i)	^[18]
[10]		Steiermarkhalle Schwarzlsee	Hard (i)	^[19]
[11]		Bourbon Beans Dome	Hard (i)	^[20]
[12]			Hard (i)	^[21]

Group stage

	Qualified for the Knockout stage
	Eliminated

T = Ties, M = Matches, S = Sets

Group	Winner				Runner-up				Third
Group	width=150	Nation!	width=40	T!	width=40	M!	width=40	S	width=150	Nation!	width=40	T!	width=40	M!	width=40	S	width=150	Nation!	width=40	T!	width=40	M!	width=40	S
A	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ccffcc		2–0	5–1	11–5	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		1–1	4–2	9–7	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		0–2	0–6	4–12
B	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ccffcc		2–0	5–1	10–5	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ccffcc		1–1	4–2	9–4	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		0–2	0–6	2–12
C	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ccffcc		2–0	4–2	8–5	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		1–1	3–3	6–8	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		0–2	2–4	7–8
D	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ccffcc		2–0	5–1	11–3	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		1–1	2–4	6–10	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		0–2	2–4	6–10
E	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ccffcc		2–0	4–2	9–5	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		1–1	3–3	8–8	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		0–2	2–4	5–9
F	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ccffcc		2–0	4–2	8–5	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ccffcc		1–1	4–2	9–6	style=text-align:left bgcolor=ffcccc		0–2	1–5	4–10

Knockout stage

World Group I

See main article: article and 2020 Davis Cup World Group I.

Date: 5–6 March 2021 or 17–19 September 2021

Twenty-four teams participated in the World Group I, in series decided on a home and away basis. The seedings are based on the Nations ranking of 9 March.^[7]

These twenty-four teams were:

12 losing teams from the qualifying round
12 winning teams from World Group I play-offs

The eight highest-ranked winners (as at 20 September 2021) of the World Group I ties will automatically progress to the 2022 qualifiers. The four lowest-ranked winners (Norway, Peru, Romania and Ukraine) took part in an additional knock-out tie in November 2021, with the two winners progressing to the 2022 qualifiers and two losers contesting the 2022 World Group I play-offs. The losing nations from the World Group I ties will compete in the World Group I Play-Offs in 2022.^[22]

Nations ranking as of 9 March 2020.Seeded teams

(#4)
(#16)
(#19)
(#20)
(#21)
(#22)
(#25)
(#26)
(#27)
(#28)
(#29)
(#30)

Unseeded teams

(#31)
(#32)
(#33)
(#34)
(#35)
(#36)
(#37)
(#38)
(#40)
(#41)
(#42)
(#45)

Home team	Away team	Location	Venue	Surface
	[1]	Asunción (Paraguay)	Rakiura Resort	Clay	^[23]
[2]			Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club	Clay	^[24]
	[3]		Pakistan Sports Complex	Grass	^[25]
	[4]		Carrasco Lawn Tenis Club	Clay	^[26]
	[5]			Hard (i)	^[27]
	[6]			Hard (i)	^[28]
	[7]		Oslo Tennis Arena	Hard (i)	^[29]
	[8]		Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon	Clay	^[30]
	[9]	Newport (United States)		Grass	^[31]
	[10]			Hard (i)	^[32]
	[11]		Club Lawn Tennis de la Exposición	Clay	^[33]
	[12]		Marina Tennis Club	Hard (i)	^[34]

Qualifying round

See main article: article and 2020 Davis Cup World Group I play-offs.

Date: 6–9 March 2020

Twenty-four teams played for the twelve spots in the World Group I, in series decided on a home and away basis.

These twenty-four teams were:

12 losing teams from their Group I zone.
12 winning teams from their Group II zone.

The 12 winning teams from the play-offs played at the World Group I and the 12 losing teams played at the World Group II.

Seeded teams

Unseeded teams

Venue	Surface
Palace of Sports	Hard (i)	^[35]
Pakistan Sports Complex	Grass	^[36]
Club de Tenis Santa Cruz	Clay	^[37]
Club Megasaray Tennis Centre	Clay	^[38]
	Hard (i)	^[39]
Club Deportivo La Asunción	Clay	^[40]
Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon	Clay	^[41]
	Hard	^[42]
Club Lawn Tennis de la Exposición	Clay	^[43]
Oslo Tennis Arena	Hard (i)	^[44]
Šiauliai Tennis Academy	Hard (i)	^[45]
	Hard (i)	^[46]

Knock-out round

See main article: article and 2020 Davis Cup World Group I Knock-outs.

Date: 26–28 November 2021

Four teams played in this round, in series decided on a home and away basis.

These four teams were the four lowest-ranked winners of World Group I.

The two winning teams will play at the Qualifiers and the two losing teams will play at the World Group I Play-Offs in 2022.

Nations ranking as of 20 September 2021.Seeded teams

(#33)
(#35)

Unseeded teams

(#40)
(#43)

Home team	Score	Away team	Location	Venue	Surface
		[1]		Oslo Tennis Arena	Hard (i)	^[47]
		[2]			Hard (i)	^[48]

World Group II

See main article: article and 2020 Davis Cup World Group II.

Date: 5–6 March 2021 or 17–19 September 2021

Twenty-four teams participated in the World Group II, in series decided on a home and away basis. The seedings are based on the Nations ranking of 9 March.^[7]

These twenty-four teams were:

12 losing teams from World Group I play-offs
12 winning teams from World Group II play-offs

The eight highest-ranked winners (as at 20 September 2021) of the World Group II ties will automatically progress to the 2022 World Group I play-offs. The four lowest-ranked teams (Denmark, Morocco, Tunisia and Zimbabwe) took part in an additional knock-out tie in November, with the two winners progressing to the 2022 World Group I play-offs and two losers contesting the 2022 World Group II play-offs. The losing nations from the World Group II ties will compete in the World Group II Play-Offs in 2022.^[49]

Nations ranking as of 9 March 2020.Seeded teams

(#39)
(#43)
(#44)
(#46)
(#47)
(#48)
(#49)
(#50)
(#51)
(#52)
(#53)
(#54)

Unseeded teams

(#55)
(#56)
(#57)
(#58)
(#59)
(#60)
(#61)
(#62)
(#63)
(#64)
(#65)
(#66)

Home team	Away team	Location	Venue	Surface
	[1]			Hard	^[50]
	[2]		Sport Hall Sofia	Hard (i)	^[51]
[3]			Swiss Tennis Arena	Hard (i)	^[52]
	[4]		Cité Nationale Sportive El Menzah	Hard	^[53]
	[5]		Lyttos Beach Tennis Academy	Hard	^[54]
	[6]			Hard (i)	^[55]
[7]			Arena Kalisz	Hard (i)	^[56]
[8]			Tennis Centre Portoroz	Clay	^[57]
[9]			Enka Spor Kulubu	Hard	^[58]
[10]		New York (United States)		Hard	^[59]
[11]					^[60]
[12]			National Tennis Centre	Hard	^[61]

Qualifying round

See main article: article and 2020 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs.

Date: 6–7 March 2020

Twenty-four teams played for the twelve spots in the World Group II, in series decided on a home and away basis.

These twenty-four teams are:

12 losing teams from their Group II zone:
12 teams from their Group III zone:
- 4 from Europe
- 3 from Asia/Oceania,
- 3 from Americas, and
- 2 from Africa.

The 12 winning teams from the play-offs will play at the World Group II and the 12 losing teams will play at the Group III of the corresponding continental zone.

Seeded teams

Unseeded teams

Venue	Surface
National Tennis Centre Lielupe	Hard (i)	^[62]
Club Internacional de Tenis	Clay	^[63]
Royal Tennis Club de Marrakech	Clay	^[64]
	Hard	^[65]
Federación Nacional De Tenis	Hard	^[66]
Costa Rica Country Club	Hard	^[67]
Arena Kalisz	Hard (i)	^[68]
	Hard	^[69]
Philippine Columbian Association	Clay (i)	^[70]
Holbæk Sportsby	Hard (i)	^[71]
Polideportivo de Ciudad Merliot	Hard	^[72]
Alex Metreveli Tennis Club	Hard	^[73]