Seven losing teams from last year’s second-round qualifiers were added, along with 13 winning teams from the 2025 World Group I. In the second round of the Qualifiers, Spain will join the 13 teams qualified this time – totaling 14 ties competing for the last seven spots in the Finals – and will join the hosts and two-time defending champions Italy, who already have their place secured in the final phase of the tournament.
Chile crushes Serbia without Novak Djokovic
The Chilean team took particular advantage of the surface, and Serbia ended up traveling with a B team – without Kecmanovic or Medjedovic. Chile, with a team of specialists, defeated the Serbs 4-0, highlighted by wins from Alejandro Tabilo and Tomas Barrios, as well as Nicolas Jarry, who led his team in doubles. The Chileans will host Spain again as locals, and they will be a team to watch carefully, taking advantage of the surface, the long travel, and one of the most passionate crowds in this type of event.
United States and Germany dominate
The United States was led this time by Tommy Paul, who took the first singles match, and it was not necessary for him to play again against Hungary. He was the only American among the top 10 ranked players, who still did not have difficulty overcoming the Central Europeans 4-0, with additional wins from Ethan Quinn, Emilio Nava, and the doubles specialists Harris/Krajicek.
On the other hand, Germany also showed its favoritism despite the absence of Alexander Zverev. Yannick Hanfmann and Jan-Lennard Struff defeated the Peruvian team, taking advantage of their favorite surface of indoor hard courts to win 4-0. The Krawietz/Pütz duo closed the victory, while Justin Engel played the last match – which simply increased the positive result for the Germans.
Australia and Argentina out early
Perhaps the biggest surprise was Australia’s elimination, without their main stars Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin. They fell to the surprising Ecuadorian team, which, like Chile, took advantage of the South American clay conditions and the difficulty of the enormous travel and jet lag in the middle of a busy season. Alvaro Guillen caused a surprise in the first match, while Rinky Hijikata and Andres Andrade defeated James Duckworth later. The doubles were also claimed by the South Americans, who are now just one victory away from accessing the Finals.
The Argentine team, who often secure a place in the Finals, also failed during their trip to South Korea. They too suffered from absences, led by Argentina’s No. 8 Thiago Tirante and No. 10 Marco Trungelliti. It was one of the closest series of these qualifiers and was ultimately decided in the fifth match, with a victory by Chung Hyeon over Trungelliti, giving the South Koreans a historic win – and a huge disappointment for the Argentinians.
France and Great Britain advance confidently
The French series started negatively, after Alexandre Muller was surprisingly defeated by Alex Molcan. However, the French team relied on Arthur Rinderknech as their hero this time, who won both of his singles matches – against Molcan and Gombos – steering the French team toward victory. Doubles specialists Bonzi and Hugues-Herbert also claimed the win, guaranteeing passage to the second round without too many complications, 3-1.
For the British, it was a straightforward series, being one of the few teams that had its main stars on court and facing a Norway team affected by the absence of Casper Ruud. Jack Draper had a notable return to the courts and won the opening match against Durasovic, while Cam Norrie increased the margin by defeating young star Nicolai Budkov-Kjaer in straight sets. The doubles of Cash/Glasspool closed the British victory, who then sent Jacob Fearnley onto the court to increase the score – though it no longer affected qualification – defeating Budkov.
Results summaryHome teamScoreAway teamLocationVenueSurfaceGermany [1]4–0PeruDüsseldorfCastello DüsseldorfHard (i)Ecuador3–0Australia [2]QuitoQuito Tennis and Golf ClubClayBulgaria0–4Belgium [3]PlovdivKolodrumaClay (i)India3–2Netherlands [4]BengaluruKarnataka State Lawn Tennis AssociationHardHungary0–4United States [5]TatabányaMultifunkcionális SportcsarnokClay (i)France [6]3–1SlovakiaLe PortelLe ChaudronHard (i)Canada [7]3–2BrazilVancouverThunderbird Sports CentreHard (i)Czechia [8]3–1SwedenJihlavaHorácká arénaHard (i)South Korea3–2Argentina [9]BusanGijang Stadium [ko]Hard (i)Japan2–3Austria [10]TokyoAriake ColiseumHard (i)Norway0–4Great Britain [11]BekkestuaNadderud ArenaHard (i)Croatia [12]3–1DenmarkVaraždinVaraždin ArenaHard (i)Chile4–0Serbia [13]SantiagoEstadio NacionalClayDavis Cup 2026 Qualifiers – Second RoundChile (c) vs SpainGermany (c) vs Croatia Ecuador vs Great Britain (c) Belgium (c) vs Austria India vs South Korea (c) United States vs Czechia (c) France vs Canada (c)
* (c) = choice of ground