Canada will open 2025 Davis Cup play against Hungary in 1st-round qualifier

Canada will open 2025 Davis Cup play with a first-round qualifier tie against Hungary, the International Tennis Federation said Monday.

As one of the nations that reached the Davis Cup Final 8 last month, Canada will host the tie at a venue to be determined.

Team rosters and the playing surface will also be announced at a later date, Tennis Canada said in a statement. The tie will be held either Jan. 31-Feb. 1 or Feb. 1-2.

Two singles matches will be played on the first day, followed by a doubles match and two singles matches on Day 2.

It will be the first-ever meeting between Canada and Hungary at the men's team tennis tournament.

Third-ranked Canada, which won the Davis Cup in 2022, dropped a 2-0 decision to Germany in the quarterfinals on Nov. 20 in Malaga, Spain.

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Montreal's Gabriel Diallo and Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., both lost singles matches. Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada's highest-ranked singles player at No. 29, was not available to play.

Hungary, ranked No. 22, qualified for the first-round qualifier tie by defeating Egypt in World Group 1 play.

Organizers have dropped the group stage from the tournament starting next year.

First-round qualifier winners will advance to the 14-team second-round qualifier in September. The seven winning nations from that round will join defending champion Italy in the 2025 Final 8 in November at Bologna.

As 2024 Final 8 runner-up, the Netherlands received a wild-card entry to the second-round qualifier and will play either Norway or Argentina in September.

The draw for the 2025 qualifiers was held