Young Team Canada Poised for More Davis Cup Success in Manchester – Tennis Canada

November 27^th, 2022.  

The images from that night are burned into the brains of diehard Canadian tennis fans. 

Félix Auger-Aliassime falling on his back after match point. Frank Dancevic leading the rest of the squad charging onto the court to tackle him. The trophy (on Auger-Aliassime’s head), the confetti, the champagne, the mass of red and white formed by the Canadian fans in the crowd, it was the culmination of 109 years of working towards finally claiming the Davis Cup title.  

When Team Canada walks out onto the match court at the AO Arena in Manchester on Tuesday for their first group stage tie against Argentina, it will be the first time those six men will be kitted up and ready to play together since that magical night in Malaga. 

“It’s a great feeling having your full team. That’s huge to come into a tie having your best players,” said Canada captain Dancevic at the team’s pre-event press conference on Monday. “It’s the same energy that we’ve had. We know this exact team, we know we’ve gone all the way to win. That gives us a lot of confidence going in.” 

Canada reached the quarter-finals in their title defence in 2023, but wear-and-tear at the end of a long season hampered the squad and they were bounced by Finland, one of the three teams standing in Canada’s way this week in the group stage. 

But the Canadians are feeling good as they gear up for another run at the cup. 

“We have many options for singles, doubles, doubles teams, switching, so there’s so many options on this team which great. Everyone is healthy going in so it’s good,” explained the captain. 

Canada may have waited 109 years to win their first title, but they are well positioned to be a powerhouse for years to come in the competition. When they won in 2022, four of the five members of that team were under the age of 24.  

“We have a very good, young talented team,” said Auger-Aliassime at the press conference. “We’ve won already which is good. That’s done, we have that for life. But we want to get more wins like this.” 

Read also: Canadian Doubles Steal the Show in Toronto

Auger-Aliassime quipped about the 34-year-old team veteran Vasek Pospisil, “We keep him young. He’s still got 10 years in front of him. Still fresh.” 

When asked if he had shared any advice with the youngsters, Pospisil said with a laugh, “None, I have not given them any advice.” 

He went on to shower them with praise, saying, “They’re so mature, even from a young age. They’re very professional. They have very good heads on their shoulders and incredible talent. It’s fortunate for me at the tail end of my career to be a part of such a great team and they’re going to be a force to deal with for years to come.” 

One of the notable changes since the 2022 victory is the rise of Gabriel Diallo. The 22-year-old stepped up during the 2023 group stage in Bologna, Italy when Auger-Aliassime was absent and Denis Shapovalov was injured and has since won a pair of ATP Challenger titles and qualified for two Grand Slam main draws, recently making the third round of the US Open. 

“I was able to build momentum throughout the summer and finish the hard-court swing with a good run at the Open,” said Diallo. “[I have a] good amount of momentum, I feel very good about my game and I’m excited for a Davis Cup run.” 

Shapovalov, who was present at the 2023 group stage but was unable to play due to a knee injury said of the performances that week of Diallo and Alexis Galarneau, who went 5-0 in Italy, “it was fun to watch the guys in Bologna last year. It was in a way tough because I wasn’t able to play but I was kind of happy I wasn’t playing because both of the guys were playing unbelievable. All of the guys were.” 

Despite not necessarily being a powerhouse on paper, Auger-Aliassime is the only Canadian with a ranking in double digits, the Canadians have a habit of stepping up when representing their country. Diallo, Galarneau, and Pospisil were all outside the Top 150 when they went 8-1 in Bologna last year. 

“Every time Frank calls me to be a part of the team it’s always an honour to represent Canada,” said Galarneau, who has been a part of every Team Canada Davis Cup tie since his first nomination in March 2022. “For me, who is on the Challenger tour, these weeks are much more stimulating, more exciting. It’s hard to say no. To be able to represent Canada is incredible.” 

In 2024, arguably Auger-Aliassime’s best performance was with the maple leaf on his chest when he brought home a bronze medal from the Paris Olympics. He is currently on a five-match winning streak (seven if doubles are included) in Davis Cup play dating back to 2022. 

Canada will play their first group stage match on Tuesday (Sep. 10) against Argentina. They have a shot at revenge for their 2023 quarter-final loss to Finland on Thursday (Sep. 12) before finishing against the hosts Great Britain on Sunday. The top two teams in the group advance to November’s Final 8 in Malaga, the site of Canada’s 2022 victory.