Montreal, August 14, 2023 — On Monday, Tennis Canada announced that Denis Shapovalov (Richmond Hill, ON), Vasek Pospisil (Vernon, BC), Gabriel Diallo (Montre?al, QC), and Alexis Galarneau (Laval, QC) will represent Team Canada presented by Sobeys in the Group Stage of the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals. Defending their 2022 title, the Canadian team will be playing out of Group A alongside Italy, Sweden, and Chile at the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy, held from September 12 to 17.
“It has been a dream come true for Canada to win its first Davis Cup title ever,” said Team Captain Frank Dancevic. “We have proven that we are capable of achieving great things, and our team is preparing for another opportunity to make a deep run. We know how hard the Davis Cup is to win, especially back to back. But I believe deeply in this team that anything is possible.”
Shapovalov, 24, will be representing his country for the ninth time in his career. Since winning in his Davis Cup debut in 2016 against Cristian Garin of Chile, he’s had great success in Davis Cup action, boasting a record of 14 wins and nine losses. During last year’s championship tie against Australia, Shapovalov defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis in the all-important opening match before compatriot Fe?lix Auger-Aliassime sealed the victory for Canada with a win over Alex de Minaur. Shapovalov, currently ranked No. 22 in the world, hasn’t played since his strong run last month at Wimbledon, reaching the round of 16 at the prestigious event.
For the 24th time in his career, Pospisil, world No. 168, has been nominated to Canada’s Davis Cup team. The 33-year-old from British Columbia played a key role in last year’s title run, winning five of his seven matches over the course of the Group Stage and knock-out stage. Pospisil holds a 27-24 record in the competition and is now only one win away from tying Sebastien Lareau as the second-most winningest Canadian in Davis Cup history, behind tennis legend Daniel Nestor. This season, Pospisil has played most of his matches on the ATP Challenger Tour and reached a final in February in Koblenz, Germany.
Diallo, 21, is sitting at a career-best ranking of No. 134 and will be taking part in his third Davis Cup event. The Montrealer is still looking for his first Davis Cup win, losing his lone match to Serbia’s Laslo Djere in last year’s Group Stage. It’s been a season to remember for Diallo, winning his first ATP main draw match in Toronto last week and continues to climb up the ATP rankings.
Galarneau will join teammates Shapovalov, Pospisil, and Diallo in Bologna for what will be his fourth career nomination. Ranked 196th in the world, the 24-year-old Laval native is fresh off his first professional title, winning the ATP Challenger event in Granby, Quebec in July. He currently holds a 0-2 record at the Davis Cup, in spite of his strong debut against World No. 47 Botic van de Zandschulp in the 2022 Qualifiers.
The Group Stage of the 2023 Davis Cup Finals will consist of four groups each comprised of four nations. The top two teams from each group will earn a spot in the knock-out stage of the Finals, taking place at the Martin Carpena in Malaga, Spain, from November 21 to 26.
Canada’s Group Stage schedule:
- September 13: Canada vs Italy
- September 14: Canada vs Sweden
- September 16: Canada vs Chile
For more on the Davis Cup Finals by Rakuten, click here.
