Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Shapovalov, Diallo, Galarneau, Draxl, and Pospisil to form Canadian Davis Cup team in Montreal – Tennis Canada

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Denis Shapovalov, Gabriel Diallo, Alexis Galarneau, Liam Draxl, and Vasek Pospisil have been selected to represent Team Canada at the Davis Cup Qualifiers 1st Round in Montreal, Quebec. The Canadian team will square off against Hungary at IGA Stadium on February 1 and 2 to determine which country advances to the Qualifiers 2nd Round in September.

“We are very excited to be coming back to Montreal with such a strong team for this year’s Davis Cup Qualifiers,” said captain Frank Dancevic. “While we know that Hungary has some very talented players, we feel extremely confident that this team will get the job done and get us one step closer to the Davis Cup Final 8. Last year, winning our Qualifier tie at IGA Stadium was something special, and we look forward to another opportunity to play in front of the passionate Montreal crowd.”

Shapovalov will be making his 12th appearance at the Davis Cup and is currently two wins shy of reaching the 20-win milestone (18 wins and 11 losses), a feat achieved by only five Canadians to date. Last season, the 25-year-old clinched the second ATP singles title of his career as a qualifier at the Belgrade Open, losing just one set throughout the tournament. After battling injuries during the 2023 season, Shapovalov managed to improve his year-end ranking from No. 109 to No. 56.

Diallo, 23, has now been named to Team Canada for the eighth time. The Montrealer holds a Davis Cup record of four wins and five losses, winning his first match at the 2023 Group Stage against then-world No. 18 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy. Diallo finished the 2024 season ranked inside the Top 100 for the first time in his career, at No. 87, after an impressive run to the third round of the US Open as a qualifier and reaching his first ATP final at the Almaty Open in October.

Laval’s Galarneau is set to make his ninth Davis Cup appearance for Canada. Currently ranked world No. 200, he reached a career-high ranking of No. 153 in 2024 following several strong results at ATP Challengers in the spring, including a runner-up finish at the Mexico City Challenger. In Davis Cup competition, Galarneau has won five of his 10 matches.

Read also: This Week in Tennis – Road to the Australian Open

Draxl, a native of Newmarket, receives his second team nomination, but has yet to play his first Davis Cup match. The 23-year-old finished the 2024 campaign as Canada’s top-ranked doubles player, at No. 132, winning five ATP Challenger titles and one ITF M25 crown. Draxl also won three ITF singles events, helping him end the season as No. 247 in the singles rankings.

Pospisil gears up to represent his country for the 29th time at the Davis Cup, the second most appearances among Canadians. The Vernon product played the majority of last season on the ATP Challenger circuit, reaching a quarter-final at the Morelos Open Challenger in April. Pospisil boasts a record of 32 wins and 27 losses in Davis Cup play.

Tickets on sale now

Tickets for the Davis Cup Qualifiers 1st Round tie between Canada and Hungary are now on sale. Join us February 1 and 2 at IGA Stadium in Montreal, as the Canadian team begins their quest for the 2025 Davis Cup Final 8. To access tickets at early-bird pricing, click here.

The action begins on Saturday, February 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET with two singles matches. The tie will conclude on Sunday, February 2, starting with a doubles match at 11:00 a.m., followed by two singles matches.*

*If the tie is decided following the doubles match, the last singles match may not be contested. The schedule is subject to change.

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