Tuesday, 12 May 2026, 12:17 pm
Press Release: Tennis NZ
Left
to right: Artem Sitak (Captain), Clint Packer (Coach), Cody
Atkinson, James Watt, Anton Shepp, Issac Becroft, Finn
Reynolds, Brayden Visser (Physio), Ajeet Rai celebrate the
Davis Cup win. (Photo/Supplied)
The
Trusts Arena in West Auckland will host the Davis Cup World
Group I tie between New Zealand and Japan on 19 & 20
September.
The tie follows New Zealand’s dramatic
promotion to Group I of the competition, secured through
three consecutive victories, coming over Georgia and Jamaica
in 2025, before February’s nail-biting 3-2 comeback win
against Bosnia & Herzegovina in Whangārei.
The
Trusts Arena will oer the chance for thousands of tennis
fans to experience the thrill of international tennis at
home. Tennis New Zealand Chief Executive Julie Paterson says
it’s an opportunity to be savoured for both the fans and
the players.
“This team has built something special
over the last few years. There’s a real belief within the
group, and they’ve earned the chance to test themselves
against some of the best nations in world
tennis.”
“The Davis Cup brings a unique energy,
and after the support we saw in Whangārei earlier this
year, we know New Zealanders will create an incredible
atmosphere at The Trusts Arena.”
Competing in Group
I is a signicant achievement for the team, with tennis
superpowers Australia, Serbia, Argentina, Switzerland and
Poland also in the group. However, captain Artem Sitak says
the team knows how to rise to the big
occasions.
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“Taking on Japan in September will be our
biggest tie in terms of both occasion and
signicance
for a long time. We’ve worked really hard to get to Group
I, and can’t wait to put on a show for the fans at The
Trusts Arena.”
“Japan is a formidable team, with
many strong players to call on, but we have proved we can
show up when it matters most.”
While the New Zealand
team is anticipating strong local support, Auckland’s
Japanese community is expected to also be out in force for
the visitors, especially as it may be the last time they see
former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori in action.
Arguably
Japan’s most iconic male player, the 2014 US Open
nalist has announced he will retire at the end of the
2026 season, with September being his last chance to play in
his country’s colours.
Davis Cup, known as the World
Cup of Tennis, is one of the world’s oldest international
sporting events and sees the best men’s teams from more
than 150 nations compete each year.
The two-day format
will feature two singles rubbers on day one, followed by
doubles and reverse singles on day two.
General
admission tickets and courtside corporate hospitality will
be available from May 25th. Visit tennis.kiwi/daviscup for
more.
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