Australia’s top men’s singles player Alex de Minaur will return home to lead the nation’s latest Davis Cup challenge in Brisbane next month. The team will face Poland at Pat Rafter Arena on September 19 and 20, only days after de Minaur’s run at the US Open in New York.
Ranked number eight in the Davis Cup standings and 28-time champions, Australia will need to beat Poland in the World Group tie to advance to next year’s qualifiers. It marks the return of Davis Cup tennis to Brisbane after almost a decade away from the city.
De Minaur said in a statement released by the national federation that there was nothing quite like representing the green and gold, and that doing so at home made it even more special. He said the team understood what was at stake against Poland and would go out with a single goal of winning to put themselves back into the qualifiers.
He added that the players relished performing in front of home crowds and would be ready to fight for every point. The rest of the squad is expected to be named shortly, with selectors finalising the line-up ahead of the tie.
Australia’s captain, Lleyton Hewitt, said having de Minaur lead the team in Brisbane was a significant boost, praising his record of strong Davis Cup performances over the years and how much representing his country meant to him. Hewitt acknowledged a tough contest ahead but said playing at home offered a great opportunity. It will be the second Davis Cup meeting between the two nations, following Australia’s 4-1 win in Warsaw in 2013.
