Israeli Tennis Team to Host Davis Cup Playoffs at Home for First Time Since October 7th Invasion
The Israel Tennis Association announced on Sunday that Israel’s national tennis team will host Davis Cup playoff games at home in february, marking the first time since the Hamas invasion of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza.
The Israeli team had been forced to hold its designated home games in other countries during the conflict. They are now scheduled to face lithuania’s team at Netanya’s Arena Israel from February 6-7 in the World Group 1 playoffs – a key stage in team tennis’s most prestigious international tournament.
This event represents the first major international tennis competition to return to Israel since the October 7th attacks, and the first time the Israeli Davis Cup team will play on home soil since their surprising september 2023 victory against Japan in Tel Aviv.
the return to domestic play follows a unanimous decision by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the sport’s governing body, deeming it safe to host matches in Israel. The Israel Tennis Association hailed the ITF ruling as “significant and historic.”
“It’s a moving moment for the sport,” stated Avi Peretz, chairman of the Israel Tennis Association. “Following a difficult period, we managed to bring the team’s games back home, to their natural habitat – in front of an israeli audience. We’ll keep working so that every athlete and team will be able to represent israel proudly, here at home.”
The ITA actively lobbied the ITF in recent months, submitting official letters and “detailed data and security reports” to advocate for the return of the Davis Cup games to Israel. According to the ITA, Peretz and counsel Dahlia Bushinsky presented their case before a special committee established by the global federation.
The ITF committee’s unanimous vote to reinstate games in Israel came after “an in-depth examination of all the information and commitments that were presented,” the Israeli association confirmed.
This decision makes Israel the second global sports body to announce the return of international competitions following the October 9th Gaza ceasefire agreement. european basketball’s governing body announced on October 21st that EuroLeague and EuroCup games would resume in Israel starting in December.
However, Israel’s participation in international sporting events has faced protests from pro-Palestinian groups. A Davis Cup match played in Halifax in September was held behind closed doors due to “escalating safety concerns,” as reported by Tennis Canada. More than 400 Canadian athletes and academics, including Olympic runner Moh Ahmed, had previously called for the cancellation of that game, citing Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
