Earlier this month, Vancouver played host to world-class international tennis as Team Canada faced Brazil in the 2026 Davis Cup Qualifiers at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. In front of an energized West Coast crowd, Canada delivered a dramatic 3–2 victory to advance to the next stage of the competition.
The tie opened with a strong performance from Liam Draxl, who set the tone for the home side with a straight-sets win over Brazil’s João Lucas Reis da Silva. Brazil responded later that day when Gustavo Heide edged Canada’s Gabriel Diallo in a tightly contested three-set battle, sending the teams into Saturday tied at 1–1.
Day two brought high stakes and high drama. Brazil captured the doubles rubber to take a 2–1 lead, putting Canada one match away from elimination. With the pressure mounting, Diallo stepped up in the fourth match of the tie, delivering a composed and determined three-set victory to even the score at 2–2 and ignite the home crowd.
That set the stage for a decisive final singles match, and Draxl rose to the occasion once again. Battling through visible discomfort, he produced a clutch straight-sets win over Heide to seal the comeback and secure Canada’s place in the second round of qualifying.
The event marked a highly anticipated return of Davis Cup action to Vancouver and showcased the city’s passion for high-performance tennis. From the electric atmosphere in the stands to the resilience displayed on court, the tie was a memorable moment for Canadian tennis fans and a proud one for our province.
With the victory, Canada advances to face France in the next round of Davis Cup Qualifiers later this year.
Thank you to everyone in the BC tennis community who came out to support Team Canada and helped make this international event such a success. Vancouver once again proved it is a premier destination for world-class tennis.
