Who are the favourites in the 2023 Davis Cup?

The next installment in the World Cup of Tennis is fast-approaching and teams from across the globe are looking to take one step closer to achieving their dreams of lifting the famous trophy aloft later this year. Canada are the current holders having beaten Australia in last year’s final and will have high hopes of retaining their crown. Captain Frank Decevic is the man tasked with delivering on those aspirations but faces plenty of stiff competition in this year’s Finals Group Stage. There are a number of star-studded teams set to take center stage in arguably one of the tournament’s most competitive years in the modern era. But who will emerge as the ones to earn bragging rights and take home the trophy in 2023? Here’s our look at some of the favourites for this year’s Davis Cup.

Since the turn of the century no team has won more Davis Cups than Spain. The Spaniards have lifted the famous trophy aloft six times since winning their first in 2000 and David Ferrer’s side will likely find themselves in contention once again. They last won the tournament in 2019 and this year’s edition serves as their best chance to win it again largely thanks to the talents of world number one Carlos Alcaraz. The Wimbledon champion has been in some excellent form and is showing maturity on the court beyond his years. At just 20-years-old the youngster has achieved so much already with a great career ahead of him and could yet add Davis Cup champion to his growing list of accomplishments just a few months after sealing his second Grand Slam title. He and his team will have to contend with Novak Djokovic’s Serbia in Group C but should they come through that litmus test then they will be one of the teams to beat.

Speaking of the Serbians, they too will be a tough nut to crack at this year’s Davis Cup for similar reasons to the Spanish. Viktor Troicki has the added benefit of having one of the greatest players of all time in his side, a fact that obviously improves their chances drastically. Djokovic has the highest tally of Grand Slams in the history of men’s tennis with a total of 23 and is still playing some of the best tennis of his career sitting second in the world rankings. As previously mentioned, Alcaraz and Djokovic are set to do battle once again in their fourth encounter and whoever wins out will be in a great position going forward in the tournament. At 36-years-old though there aren’t many years left for Novak to stay at the top of his game and he will be more determined than ever to earn Serbia’s first Davis Cup.

The 32-time winners of the Davis Cup will enter Group D as slight favourites to get out but it’s a very tough one to call. Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek showed a lot of promise in their contest this February against Uzbekistan while the majority of their hopes will lie on the shoulders of world number 10 Frances Tiafoe who broke into the top 10 for the first time earlier this year. The 25-year-old is playing the best tennis of his career recently and it wouldn’t be too surprising if the Maryland native manages to cause an upset or two in this year’s tournament. Last time the USA fell just short in the quarter-finals, but this year they are in good shape to make the semi-finals and from there it’s anyone’s game. Those wanting to bet on the USA in the upcoming Davis Cup should check out list of online sportsbooks.

The reigning champions are understandably favourites to come through Group A into the final 8 but they will have a tough task on their hands when it comes to the knockout rounds. They are left significantly weaker without talisman Felix Auger-Aliasssime but Denis Shapovalov will help relieve the pressure on the team as a whole. The 24-year-old has struggled for consistency as of late but after having broken back into the top 20 is well-positioned to make his mark on this tournament. Italy perhaps pose the biggest threat to the champions’ chances of making it out the group stage featuring three of the top 40 within their team and out for revenge after their semi-final defeat to the eventual winners in 2022. If the team from the Great White North can navigate that difficult challenge, then they may yet retain their title.

Last year’s runners up fell just short in their bid to bring the World Cup of tennis home for the first time since 2003 but they have a very settled look about their team this time round and could well be in the mix again come the finale. Alex de Minaur will spearhead the Green and Gold’s campaign in the group stage currently sitting 12th in the world rankings. He’s an excellent player on his day and always manages to find another level to his game when representing his country. Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell will line up alongside him in this tournament and provide the solid base from which to launch their challenge this year with a history of success as a pairing having won the Men’s doubles at Wimbledon in 2022. There’s talent throughout their team but the factor that could give them the edge to go one step better this year is their determination to right the wrongs of last year’s final and claim the country’s 29th Davis Cup trophy in the process.