Davis Cup final: Belgium beat France in opener, plans to hold talks with absent stars
Great Britain are not playing this week after losing 3-2 to Japan in the first round of qualifying in February.
But Leon Smith’s side beat Poland in an away knockout tie in September to book themselves a spot in next year’s end-of-season tournament.
Doubles experts Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, who were recently crowned year-end world number one, believe the British team must prove they are capable of challenging the elite in 2026.
Cash told BBC Sport: “We are a very strong country and sometimes we get a bit of hate because we have the Grand Slams and the LTA is in a better financial position than a lot of federations.”
“We have a lot of really good players, even below Davis Cup level, and I think from our standards – singles and doubles – [the Finals] We deserve it. But you have to make this money every year. “
The last time Britain won the Davis Cup was in 2015, Andy Murray led the British team to glory and reached the semi-finals again in 2019, followed by reaching the quarter-finals in 2021 and 2023.
This year’s bid has been stymied by British number one Jack Draper, who reached a career-high world ranking of fourth earlier this season but was left out of Japan.
“Injuries are a big part of it,” Cash said, “so we hope everyone stays healthy and if some other guys need to be called up, hopefully they can perform at their best.”
