India will face South Korea in the second round of the 2026 Davis Cup qualifiers on September 18-19, with the tie set to take place on hard courts at the Olympic Tennis Centre in Seoul. The winner will secure a place in the Final 8 stage in Bologna, Italy, in November.South Korea, ranked 16th, have a narrow 6-5 lead over 19th-ranked India in their head-to-head record. India will announce their squad on Monday. The teams last met in 2016, when India won 4-1 in Chandigarh on grass.India reached this stage after beating the Netherlands 3-2 in Bengaluru in February. Dhakshineswar Suresh was the star, winning both his singles matches and also helping Yuki Bhambri win the doubles rubber. The victory was especially impressive as India were ranked 33rd while the Netherlands were sixth.The win also took India into the second round of the qualifiers for the first time since the current Davis Cup format began in 2019.
South Korea also pulled off upset
South Korea earned their spot by defeating 2016 champions Argentina 3-2 in Busan. They have previously reached the 16-team Davis Cup Finals in 2022 and 2023.India will now aim to go one step further and reach the Final 8 for the first time under the current format. The country has finished runners-up in the Davis Cup three times—in 1966, 1974 and 1987—but has never won the prestigious team competition.The Seoul tie therefore presents India with a major opportunity to make history and earn a place among the final eight teams competing in Bologna later this year.