ITF Press Release, September 4, 2019
The ITF has today announced an expanded format for the Davis Cup Group I and Group II competition which will be played on a worldwide basis from 2020 providing increased opportunities for all competing nations.
The new format will see the creation of a Davis Cup World Group I and World Group II immediately below the top tier of the competition, replacing the regional Group I and Group II ties currently being played in Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe/Africa.
As part of these changes, the ITF will introduce an additional play-off round for both World Group I and World Group II that will be held alongside the Davis Cup by Rakuten Qualifiers in March 2020.
The expanded structure, which follows extensive consultation with National Associations, will ensure more nations are able to compete on a worldwide basis, with more opportunities for home-and-away ties against a wider variety of opponents.
From 2020, there will be a clear progression for teams, with automatic promotion and relegation at all levels of the competition. The Davis Cup Nations Ranking will no longer be used to determine which group a nation is playing in.
The line-up for the 2020 Davis Cup Qualifiers, World Group I Play-offs and World Group II Play-offs will be finalised following next week’s Davis Cup regional Group I and Group II ties on 13-14 and 14-15 September. Team nominations for these ties were confirmed on Tuesday 3 September.
👀 The new structure of the #DavisCup from 2020….
👉 Read more about the changes: https://t.co/LE5cvr8amj pic.twitter.com/XM4SbItEcr
— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) September 4, 2019
New Davis Cup structure
There will be no change to the structure of Davis Cup Group III and Group IV which will continue to be played as week-long regional events on a round-robin basis.
ITF President David Haggerty said: “We are committed to working with our member nations to ensure that the format of the competition, at all levels, maximises its potential for success and growth. This expanded format elevates these levels to reflect the evolution of this global competition.”
Mark Woodforde, ITF board member and a Davis Cup champion with Australia in 1999, said: “Davis Cup weeks were always a highlight in my career. In an individual sport like tennis, being part of a team is a rare experience and one that many players enjoy. The new global structure of the competition will give players the chance to travel to and compete against nations they may never have faced previously – and I am sure that they will relish that challenge.”
