"You have a chance": Great Britain captain Leon Smith eyes challenging for Davis Cup title in 2026, but on one condition

Team Great Britain’s captain Leon Smith believes that his team can win the Davis Cup in 2026 but only on one condition. Team Great Britain have an impressive record while competing in the Davis Cup, lifting the title 10 times which is the joint-third, only behind the USA (32 titles) and Australia (28 titles).

However, their last title was way back in 2015, when they defeated Belgium with a score of 3-1. Great Britain has also struggled with the change in format. Since the change in Davis Cup format, Great Britain has not managed to cement a spot in the final. Their best result was in 201,9, where their journey ended in the semifinals. In 2021 and 2023, Great Britain managed to play in the quarterfinals.

In the ongoing campaign, Great Britain is placed in the World Group 1, where they recently defeated Poland with a score of 3-1. Great Britain won all the singles matches, whereas Poland’s only win came in the doubles contest. After the contest, Great Britain’s captain Smith spoke to TNT Sports, where he spoke about the future goals.

Smith was of the opinion that Team Great Britain would have a realistic chance of competing for the title, but only if they had all their players available. Smith also highlighted the importance of Great Britain’s number one, Jack Draper, and believes that if he is there next year, it will create a big difference for the team. Smith was of the opinion that in the presence of the full team, Team Great Britain would go on and compete against big teams.

“Honestly, I think we’ve got a really good chance [of winning],” said Smith. “It comes down to who is available to play. You need your top players to try and win it – that’s clear. But I hope the players are motivated to play. I think there’s an appetite from our top players to want to play, and of course, if you have got someone like Jack [Draper], when he comes into the team and you’ve got a top-tenner, it obviously makes a difference as well. We’ve got good depth with Cam [Norrie], Jacob [Fearnley], Arthur [Fery], and there are others, and with strong doubles options, you have a chance. The most important thing is that we got the job done in a tie like this. We did a very professional job. It was good to get Arthur Fery his debut and it was a winning one which is a great experience for him. Then you have Cam Norrie in your team, who is so rich in experience. We didn’t drop a set in the singles, which shows the respect we gave the opposition. We can look forward now to the draw for next year.”

Britain’s Draper missed out on playing in the competition this year because of a fitness concern. The 23-year-old has struggled with an arm injury this year, which has forced him to play very little tennis since Wimbledon. Draper did not feature in any competition after Wimbledon in order to recover from the injury and returned only to compete at the US Open. His decision backfired as he was forced to withdraw just before the start of the second-round contest against Belgium’s Zizou Bergs. Trouble for Draper did not end there as just 11 days later, he was forced to announce that he would not be able to take part in any more tennis events this year to recover from the same injury.

“Hi guys, an update from me,” wrote Draper. “Unfortunately the injury to my arm is something I have to rest and means I’ll be sitting out the rest of 2025. It is very difficult for me to accept as I was building some incredible momentum this year and playing some great stuff. However, I’ve been through this before.. and I always come back stronger as I’m so motivated to fulfil my potential as a player,” Draper wrote. “Huge thanks to everyone who backs me to do well and supports me on my journey. Can’t wait to get back out there and give it my all. See you soon!”