Tennis Canada announced Monday that Denis Shapovalov (Richmond Hill, ON), Gabriel Diallo (Montreal, QC), Alexis Galarneau (Laval, QC), Liam Draxl (Newmarket, ON) and Vasek Pospisil (Vernon, BC) will make up Team Canada for the first round of Davis Cup qualifying in Montreal, Quebec. The Canadian team will face Hungary on February 1 and 2 at the Stade IGA in the hope of reaching the second round which will take place in September.
“We are very happy to return to Montreal for the Davis Cup qualifiers with such a strong team,” commented captain Frank Dancevic. Hungary has some very talented players, but we are confident that our team will rise to the challenge and bring us closer to the Davis Cup quarter-finals. Winning our qualifying match last year at Stade IGA was an extraordinary experience, and we look forward to playing again in front of the passionate Montreal crowd. »
Shapovalov will be making his twelfth appearance at the Davis Cup and is two wins away from reaching the milestone of 20 victories (18 wins and 11 losses), a feat achieved by only five Canadians to date. Last year, the 25-year-old captured his second ATP singles title at the Belgrade Open; he qualified for the main draw and lost only one round before lifting the trophy. After being hampered by injuries in 2023, Shapovalov managed to improve his year-end ranking from 109th to 56th.
Aged 23, Diallo will be part of the Canadian team for the eighth time. The Montrealer has a record of four wins and five losses at the Davis Cup. He signed his first victory during the 2023 round robin, beating the Italian Lorenzo Musette then 18th in the world. Diallo finished the 2024 season inside the Top 100 for the first time in his career, occupying the 87th level, thanks in particular to his third round at the United States Open and his first ATP final at the Open. ‘Almaty, in October.
The Laval resident will take part in the Davis Cup for the ninth time. Galarneau, who currently ranks 200th in the ATP rankings, reached a personal high of 153rd in 2024 following strong results on the Challenger Tour including a final in Mexico. At the Davis Cup, he won five of the ten matches he participated in.
Originally from Newmarket, Draxl is chosen for the second time, but has not yet played his first Davis Cup duel. The 23-year-old Canadian finished the 2023 season as the top doubles player in the country by virtue of his 132nd ranking. His haul this year includes five ATP Challenger Tour titles and an ITF U25 tournament crown. Draxl also collected three ITF singles titles, allowing him to finish the year ranked 247th in singles.
Pospisil is preparing to defend his country’s colors for the 29th time at the Davis Cup, the second most appearances among Canadians. Last year, the Vernon athlete mainly played on the ATP Challenger Circuit, reaching the quarter-finals of the Morelos Open in April. Pospisil has a record of 32 wins and 27 losses at the Davis Cup.
Tickets on sale now
Tickets for the first round of Davis Cup qualifying between Canada and Hungary are now on sale. Join us 1is and February 2 at Stade IGA, in Montreal, as Team Canada begins its journey to the quarter-finals of the 2025 Davis Cup. To obtain a preferential price on tickets, click here.
The action begins on Saturday, February 1, at 1 p.m. EST with two singles matches. The match will conclude on Sunday, February 2, with the presentation of a doubles match from 11 a.m.* followed by two singles matches.**
* The schedule is however subject to change.
**If the winner of the match is determined following the doubles match, the final singles match will not be played.
