Madrid to host new-look Davis Cup

Madrid will host the inauguraldaviscupfinalsweek next November, organisers have announced.

The event, which features 18 teams, will be staged at the Caja Magica.

Madrid will also host the event in 2020, with the International Tennis Federation keen to encourage the top players to take part by staging it close to the venue for the preceding week’s ATP Finals at London’s O2 Arena.

Defending champions France face Croatia in Lille this November in the final of the last edition of the traditional competition.

International Tennis Federation president David Haggerty said: “We are delighted to be bringing the 2019 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas finals to Madrid. The city is a fitting location to stage the highest quality tennis and great entertainment for thousands of fans from all over the world.”

The teams will be split into six groups of three, with the group winners and the two best secondplaced teams qualifying for the knockout stage.

Six teams have already been confirmed, with this year’s semi-finalists France, Croatia, USA and Spain joined by wild cards Great Britain and Argentina. The 12 winners of February’s qualifying round will fill the remaining slots.