The 2020–21 Davis Cup was the 109th edition of the Davis Cup, a tournament between national teams in men's tennis. It was sponsored by Rakuten. For this edition, the format of the cup was changed. The new format saw the creation of a Davis Cup World Group I and World Group II which was played on a worldwide basis and replaced the regional Group I and Group II. As a result, the Davis Cup nations ranking was no longer used to determine which group a nation was played in. Previous the 2019, and the 2021 finals host Spain were the defending champions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on 26 June 2020 the ITF announced that the 2020 finals would take place from 22 until 28 November 2021. In addition, 24 World Group I and World Group II ties were postponed to March and September 2021, and the 2020 regional Group III and Group IV events were also postponed to 2021. The 18 nations that qualified for the finals kept their standing for the next year.
Davis Cup Finals
Date: 25 November–5 December 2021 Venue: Madrid Arena, Madrid, SpainOlympiahalle, Innsbruck, AustriaPala Alpitour, Turin, Italy Surface: Hard court (indoor)
18 nations took part in the finals, formerly known as World Group. The qualification was as follows: 4 semifinalists of the previous edition 2 wild card teams (announced by ITF on 23 November 2019 as France and Serbia) 12 winners of a qualifier round, in March 2020
H = Host nation, TH = Title holder, WC = Wild card Participating teams (H) (WC) (H)RTF (WC) (H, TH)
Seeds The seedings were based on the Nations ranking of 9 March.
#: Nations ranking as of 9 March 2020.
Qualifying round
Date: 6–7 March 2020
Twenty-six eligible teams were: 14 teams ranked 5th-18th in the Finals. 12 winning teams from their Group I zone.
Two wild cards for the Finals were selected from these 26 nations. and were announced prior to the Qualifiers draw. The remaining 24 nations competed in head-to-head matches, with the 12 winning teams to play at the Finals and the 12 losing teams to play at the World Group I in 2022.
The Davis Cup Qualifiers draw took place on 24 November 2019 at La Caja Mágica.
Seeded teams
Unseeded teams:
Home team Score Away team Location Venue Surface 3–1 Zagreb Dom Sportova Hard (i) 3–2 Debrecen Főnix Hall Clay (i) 3–1 Bogotá Palacio de los Deportes Clay (i) 4–0 Honolulu Neal S. Blaisdell Center Hard (i) 3–1 Adelaide Memorial Drive Tennis Centre Hard 4–0 Cagliari Circolo Tennis Cagliari Clay 4–1 Düsseldorf Castello Düsseldorf Hard (i) 3–1 Nur-Sultan Daulet National Tennis Centre Hard (i) 1–3 Bratislava AXA Aréna NTC Clay (i) 3–1 Premstätten Steiermarkhalle Schwarzlsee Hard (i) 0–3 Miki Bourbon Beans Dome Hard (i) 3–1 Stockholm Kungliga tennishallen Hard (i)
Group stage Qualified for the Knockout stage Eliminated T = Ties, M = Matches, S = Sets GroupWinnerRunner-upThirdNationTMSNationTMSNationTMSA RTF 2–0 5–1 11–5 1–1 4–2 9–7 0–2 0–6 4–12B 2–0 5–1 10–5 1–1 4–2 9–4 0–2 0–6 2–12C 2–0 4–2 8–5 1–1 3–3 6–8 0–2 2–4 7–8D 2–0 5–1 11–3 1–1 2–4 6–10 0–2 2–4 6–10E 2–0 4–2 9–5 1–1 3–3 8–8 0–2 2–4 5–9F 2–0 4–2 8–5 1–1 4–2 9–6 0–2 1–5 4–10
Knockout stage
World Group I
Date: 5–6 March 2021 or 17–19 September 2021
Twenty-four teams participated in the World Group I, in series decided on a home and away basis. The seedings are based on the Nations ranking of 9 March.
These twenty-four teams were: 12 losing teams from the qualifying round 12 winning teams from World Group I play-offs
The eight highest-ranked winners (as at 20 September 2021) of the World Group I ties will automatically progress to the 2022 qualifiers. The four lowest-ranked winners (Norway, Peru, Romania and Ukraine) took part in an additional knock-out tie in November 2021, with the two winners progressing to the 2022 qualifiers and two losers contesting the 2022 World Group I play-offs. The losing nations from the World Group I ties will compete in the World Group I Play-Offs in 2022.
#: Nations ranking as of 9 March 2020.
Seeded teams (#4) (#16) (#19) (#20) (#21) (#22) (#25) (#26) (#27) (#28) (#29) (#30)
Unseeded teams (#31) (#32) (#33) (#34) (#35) (#36) (#37) (#38) (#40) (#41) (#42) (#45)
Home team Score Away team Location Venue Surface 2–3 Asunción (Paraguay) Rakiura Resort Clay 4–1 Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club Clay 0–4 Islamabad Pakistan Sports Complex Grass 0–4 Montevideo Carrasco Lawn Tenis Club Clay 3–1 Bratislava NTC Arena Hard (i) 3–1 Espoo Espoo Metro Areena Hard (i) 3–1 Oslo Oslo Tennis Arena Hard (i) 0–4 Jounieh Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon Clay 1–3 Newport (United States) International Tennis Hall of Fame Grass 3–1 Cluj-Napoca Horia Demian Sports Hall Hard (i) 3–2 Lima Club Lawn Tennis de la Exposición Clay 3–2 Kyiv Marina Tennis Club Hard (i)
Qualifying round
Date: 6–9 March 2020
Twenty-four teams played for the twelve spots in the World Group I, in series decided on a home and away basis.
These twenty-four teams were: 12 losing teams from their Group I zone. 12 winning teams from their Group II zone.
The 12 winning teams from the play-offs played at the World Group I and the 12 losing teams played at the World Group II.
Seeded teams
Unseeded teams
Home team Score Away team Location Venue Surface 3–2 Zaporizhia Palace of Sports Hard (i) 3–0 Islamabad Pakistan Sports Complex Grass 3–1 Santa Cruz de la Sierra Club de Tenis Santa Cruz Clay 1–3 Antalya Club Megasaray Tennis Centre Clay 3–1 Zenica Arena Zenica Hard (i) 2–3 Metepec Club Deportivo La Asunción Clay 3–1 Jounieh Automobile and Touring Club of Lebanon Clay 3–1 Auckland ASB Tennis Centre Hard 3–1 Lima Club Lawn Tennis de la Exposición Clay 4–0 Oslo Oslo Tennis Arena Hard (i) 0–4 Šiauliai Šiauliai Tennis Academy Hard (i) w/o Piatra Neamț Polyvalent Hall Hard (i)
Knock-out round
Date: 26–28 November 2021
Four teams played in this round, in series decided on a home and away basis.
These four teams were the four lowest-ranked winners of World Group I.
The two winning teams will play at the Qualifiers and the two losing teams will play at the World Group I Play-Offs in 2022.
#: Nations ranking as of 20 September 2021.
Seeded teams (#33) (#35)
Unseeded teams (#40) (#43)
Home team Score Away team Location Venue Surface 3–1 Oslo Oslo Tennis Arena Hard (i) 4–0 Cluj-Napoca Horia Demian Sports Hall Hard (i)
World Group II
Date: 5–6 March 2021 or 17–19 September 2021
Twenty-four teams participated in the World Group II, in series decided on a home and away basis. The seedings are based on the Nations ranking of 9 March.
These twenty-four teams were: 12 losing teams from World Group I play-offs 12 winning teams from World Group II play-offs
The eight highest-ranked winners (as at 20 September 2021) of the World Group II ties will automatically progress to the 2022 World Group I play-offs. The four lowest-ranked teams (Denmark, Morocco, Tunisia and Zimbabwe) took part in an additional knock-out tie in November, with the two winners progressing to the 2022 World Group I play-offs and two losers contesting the 2022 World Group II play-offs. The losing nations from the World Group II ties will compete in the World Group II Play-Offs in 2022.
#: Nations ranking as of 9 March 2020.
Seeded teams (#39) (#43) (#44) (#46) (#47) (#48) (#49) (#50) (#51) (#52) (#53) (#54)
Unseeded teams (#55) (#56) (#57) (#58) (#59) (#60) (#61) (#62) (#63) (#64) (#65) (#66)
Home team Score Away team Location Venue Surface w/o Harare Harare Sports Club Hard 1–3 Sofia Sport Hall Sofia Hard (i) 5–0 Biel Swiss Tennis Arena Hard (i) 3–2 Tunis Cité Nationale Sportive El Menzah Hard 1–3 Heraklion Lyttos Beach Tennis Academy Hard 4–1 Kolding Sydbank Arena Hard (i) 3–1 Kalisz Arena Kalisz Hard (i) 3–1 Portorož Tennis Centre Portoroz Clay 4–0 Istanbul Enka Spor Kulubu Hard 4–0 New York (United States) Forest Hills Stadium Hard w/o 3–1 Saint Michael National Tennis Centre Hard
Qualifying round
Date: 6–7 March 2020
Twenty-four teams played for the twelve spots in the World Group II, in series decided on a home and away basis.
These twenty-four teams are: 12 losing teams from their Group II zone: 12 teams from their Group III zone: 4 from Europe 3 from Asia/Oceania, 3 from Americas, and 2 from Africa.
The 12 winning teams from the play-offs will play at the World Group II and the 12 losing teams will play at the Group III of the corresponding continental zone.
Seeded teams
Unseeded teams
Syria
Home team Score Away team Location Venue Surface 4–1 Jūrmala National Tennis Centre Lielupe Hard (i) 4–0 Asunción Club Internacional de Tenis Clay 4–0 Marrakesh Royal Tennis Club de Marrakech Clay 4–0 Jakarta Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex Hard 1–3 Guatemala City Federación Nacional De Tenis Hard 1–4 San José Costa Rica Country Club Hard 4–0 Kalisz Arena Kalisz Hard (i) 3–1 Syria Harare Harare Sports Club Hard 1–4 Metro Manila Philippine Columbian Association Clay (i) 5–0 Holbæk Holbæk Sportsby Hard (i) 3–1 San Salvador Polideportivo de Ciudad Merliot Hard 1–4 Tbilisi Alex Metreveli Tennis Club Hard
Knock-out round
Date: 26–28 November 2021
Four teams played in this round, in series decided on a home and away basis.
These four teams were the four lowest-ranked winners of World Group II.
The two winning teams will play at the World Group I play-offs and the two losing teams will play at the World Group II Play-Offs in 2022.
#: Nations ranking as of 20 September 2021.
Seeded teams (#55) (#56)
Unseeded teams (#60) (#62)
Home team Score Away team Location Venue Surface 4–0 Tunis Tennis Club de Tunis Clay 1–3 Marrakesh Royal Tennis Club de Marrakech Clay
Americas Zone Group III
Dates: 30 June–3 July 2021
Location: Centro de Alto Rendimineto Fred Maduro, Panama City, Panama (clay)
The first two nations qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs
Teams
(host)
Inactive Teams
Promotions and qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs
Asia/Oceania Zone Group III
Dates: 15–18 September 2021
Location: Jordan Tennis Federation, Amman, Jordan (hard)
The first three nations qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs
Teams
(host)
Withdrawn
Promotions/Relegations , and qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs , and are relegated to 2022 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group IV
Group IV
Dates: 18–23 October 2021
Location: Bahrain Tennis Federation Courts, Isa Town, Bahrain (hard)
The first three nations qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group III
Teams
(host)
Inactive Teams
Promotions , and are promoted to 2022 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group III
Europe Zone Group III
Dates: 16–19 June 2021
Location: Herodotou Tennis Academy, Larnaca, Cyprus (hard)
The first three nations qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs
The last two nations (excluding ) are relegated to 2022 Davis Cup Europe Zone Group IV
Teams
(host)
Withdrawn
Promotions/Relegations , and qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs and are relegated to 2022 Davis Cup Europe Zone Group IV
Group IV
Dates: 22–26 June 2021
Location: Tennis Club Jug, Skopje, North Macedonia (clay)
The first four nations qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup Europe Zone Group III
Teams
(host)
Promotions , , and are promoted to the 2022 Davis Cup Europe Zone Group III.
Africa Zone Group III
Dates: 11–14 August 2021
Location: Smash Academy, Cairo, Egypt (clay)
The first two nations qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs
Teams
(host)
Withdrawn
Promotions/Relegations and qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup World Group II play-offs. and were relegated to 2022 Davis Cup Africa Zone Group IV.
Group IV
Dates: 21–26 June 2021
Location: Complexe Sportif La Concorde, Brazzaville, Congo (hard)
The first two nations qualify for the 2022 Davis Cup Africa Zone Group III
Teams
(host)
Inactive Teams
Promotions