HALLE, WESTPHALIA/STARNBERG, June 16, 2026
The Davis Cup is set to return to Halle, Westphalia for the first time in 20 years. Germany will host Croatia in a second-round tie at the heristo-arena on September 19 and 20, with a place at the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna at stake. The tie will be played on hard courts.
“The Davis Cup is the most traditional and emotional competition in tennis – I would even say in all of sport,” said Veronika Rücker, a member of the Executive Board of the German Tennis Federation (DTB), during a press conference held at the 33rd TERRA WORTMANN OPEN. “It has enormous appeal and creates a very special atmosphere. Our goal is to bring that atmosphere back to Halle. I still remember the tie against France in 2006 very well – it was a defining experience for me. Back then, a strong French fan contingent created an incredible atmosphere. This year, we want to turn that around and have a loud German fan block creating the same energy and hopefully carrying us to victory against Croatia.”
Sven Wortmann, Managing Partner of the heristo-arena, is also looking forward to the event. “We are delighted to welcome the Davis Cup back to Halle after such a long time and, of course, hope for a positive result. For us, it is a great opportunity to showcase tennis and the German Davis Cup team to a broad audience,” he said.
The composition of the German team has not yet been finalized, but Davis Cup captain Michael Kohlmann remains optimistic. “It is still a little early, but I am in good contact with all of the players. We hope to compete with the strongest team possible.”
That would include Germany’s No. 1 player, Alexander Zverev. “There has been no indication that he will not play,” Kohlmann said. “I am confident that we will be able to field our best possible lineup.”
Germany will be competing in the Davis Cup for the 90th time this year. The nation has won the prestigious team competition three times, in 1988, 1989 and 1993, and reached the semifinals last season. Croatia lifted the trophy in 2005 and 2018 and also finished runner-up in 2016 and 2021. Germany leads the head-to-head record between the two nations 3-1, with their most recent meeting taking place 15 years ago.
Halle has previously hosted three Davis Cup ties. Germany defeated the Czech Republic 4-1 in the quarterfinals in 1993 and followed that with a 3-2 victory over Spain in 1994. In 2006, the German team narrowly lost 3-2 to France in the World Group first round.
The tie will begin on Saturday, September 19, with two singles matches starting at 2:00 p.m. Sunday’s schedule begins at 12:00 p.m. and features the doubles match followed by two reverse singles. Tickets are available from €41.75, with both single-day and combined two-day packages on sale. Reduced-price tickets are available for children and young people.
