# 2019 Davis Cup Finals
The 2019 Davis Cup Finals, staged as the [Davis Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/davis-cup) by Rakuten Madrid Finals, was the first edition of the restructured conclusion to the Davis Cup, in which 18 national teams gathered at a single venue, La Caja Mágica in Madrid, from 18 to 24 November 2019 to decide the world championship of men's team tennis.[1](https://www.rfet.es/es/copa-davis-espana.html) Spain won the title, defeating Canada 2-0 in the final to claim a sixth Davis Cup crown, its first under the new format.[2](https://www.daviscup.com/en/about/history) • [3](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/50541022)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates and venue | 18–24 November 2019, La Caja Mágica, Madrid, a single venue for the whole event[1](https://www.rfet.es/es/copa-davis-espana.html) |
| Field | 18 nations: 12 winners of the February Qualifiers, the four 2018 semi-finalists, and two wild cards[4](https://www.itftennis.com/media/2253/2018-itf-agm-minutes-eng.pdf) |
| Champion | Spain, beating Canada 2-0 in the final; Roberto Bautista Agut and Rafael Nadal won the singles[2](https://www.daviscup.com/en/about/history) • [5](https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/history-of-the-final-8) |
| Approval and backing | Reform approved by about 71% of ITF delegates in Orlando; a $3 billion, 25-year agreement with Kosmos[6](https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/davis-cup-overhauled/) |
| Qualifier audience | The February Qualifier round reached a record audience of 10 million viewers[7](https://www.itftennis.com/media/2445/2019-itf-agm-minutes.pdf) |
| Tournament director | Former Davis Cup champion Albert Costa oversaw the sporting side of the new format[8](https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/costa-named-tournament-director-for-davis-cup-finals) |
## The reform that created the Finals
Before 2019, the top tier of the Davis Cup, the World Group, was played on a home-and-away basis right through to the final, with ties spread across the year.[5](https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/history-of-the-final-8) The International Tennis Federation (ITF) approved a overhaul at its Annual General Meeting in [Orlando, Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/orlando-florida), where about 71 percent of delegates voted for the reform.[6](https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/davis-cup-overhauled/) The new event was developed in partnership with Kosmos, an investment group founded by the Barcelona and Spain footballer [Gerard Piqué](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerard-pique), under a $3 billion, 25-year agreement.[6](https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/davis-cup-overhauled/) The 2018 AGM minutes describe the proposal as a 25-year contract worth $125 million a year, with $81 million spent annually on license fees, prize money, and operational costs and the remaining $44 million allocated to prize money and two new events in the April and September Davis Cup weeks.[4](https://www.itftennis.com/media/2253/2018-itf-agm-minutes-eng.pdf)
**Qualification path.** In February 2019, 24 nations contested home-and-away ties in the first edition of the Davis Cup Qualifiers, and the 12 winning nations earned places in the Madrid Finals.[9](https://www.itftennis.com/media/2448/2019-itf-agm-agenda-eng.pdf) They were joined by the four semi-finalists from the previous year and two wild cards, forming the 18-nation field.[4](https://www.itftennis.com/media/2253/2018-itf-agm-minutes-eng.pdf) The Qualifier round reached a record audience of 10 million viewers, a figure the ITF President cited at the 2019 AGM in reporting on the success of the [2019 Davis Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/2019-davis-cup).[7](https://www.itftennis.com/media/2445/2019-itf-agm-minutes.pdf)
## Format of the Finals
The 18 teams were divided into groups at the single Madrid venue during the week of 18 to 24 November 2019.[1](https://www.rfet.es/es/copa-davis-espana.html) Reducing each tie from five matches to three gave the doubles a decisive weight, and the shortened format was designed to create a compact, marketable "World Cup of tennis" style event.[10](https://elpais.com/deportes/tenis/2024-11-21/el-dobles-senor-juez-del-nuevo-formato-de-la-copa-davis.html) • [11](https://www.tenniswithoutborders.com/davis-cup-format-wars/)
## Spain's road to the title
Spain progressed through the knockout rounds with two comebacks secured in the decisive doubles. The team beat Argentina 2-1 in the quarterfinals and Great Britain 2-1 in the semifinals, in each case recovering in the doubles point.[1](https://www.rfet.es/es/copa-davis-espana.html)
In the final on 24 November, Roberto Bautista Agut beat Felix Auger-Aliassime before [Rafael Nadal](https://www.edgepedia.org/rafael-nadal) defeated [Denis Shapovalov](https://www.edgepedia.org/denis-shapovalov), giving Spain a 2-0 win and the title in front of a home crowd at La Caja Mágica.[5](https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/history-of-the-final-8) It was Spain's sixth Davis Cup title and the first decided under the Finals format.[2](https://www.daviscup.com/en/about/history) • [3](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/50541022)
## Reception and criticism
The event faced criticism before it began, with the football-style knockout concept, conceived and financially backed by Piqué and his Kosmos group, drawing a barrage of objections.[3](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/50541022) The BBC noted that the presence of many key players was seen as an encouraging sign by Piqué and ITF chief David Haggerty.[3](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/50541022) The reform also removed much of the traditional travel-and-hosting rhythm that had defined the Davis Cup, ending the home-and-away character of the late rounds.[11](https://www.tenniswithoutborders.com/davis-cup-format-wars/)
## Aftermath
Following a review of the inaugural event, the ITF considered proposals by Kosmos Tennis to improve scheduling and the fan experience, and the ITF Board approved a transition from 18 to 16 teams from 2022, with consultation on a multi-city format from 2021.[12](https://legacy-daviscup.itftennis.com/en/news/317968.aspx) [The Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-finals) format continued to evolve, with the Final 8 starting in Málaga in 2022.[2](https://www.daviscup.com/en/about/history) Kosmos ended its involvement with the project in 2023, and the ITF later restored home-and-away ties for the rounds leading to a Final 8, abolishing the group stage from 2025.[13](https://elpais.com/deportes/tenis/2025-11-22/la-revolucion-a-medias-de-la-copa-davis-mejoria-pero-escasean-las-figuras.html) • [5](https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/history-of-the-final-8) Commercially, BNP Paribas ended its title sponsorship of the competition in April 2019, and the 2019 Finals ran under Rakuten's naming.[2](https://www.daviscup.com/en/about/history)
## References
1. [España en la Copa Davis, Real Federación Española de Tenis](https://www.rfet.es/es/copa-davis-espana.html)
2. [History, Davis Cup – The World Cup of Tennis](https://www.daviscup.com/en/about/history)
3. [Davis Cup: What worked, what didn't & what needs to change, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/50541022)
4. [Minutes of the 2018 ITF Annual General Meeting](https://www.itftennis.com/media/2253/2018-itf-agm-minutes-eng.pdf)
5. [History of the Final 8, Davis Cup – The World Cup of Tennis](https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/history-of-the-final-8)
6. [Davis Cup Overhauled For 2019 With Event To End Season, CBS Texas](https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/davis-cup-overhauled/)
7. [Minutes of the 2019 ITF Annual General Meeting](https://www.itftennis.com/media/2445/2019-itf-agm-minutes.pdf)
8. [Costa named tournament director for Davis Cup finals, Davis Cup](https://www.daviscup.com/en/news/costa-named-tournament-director-for-davis-cup-finals)
9. [Davis Cup and Fed Cup, 2019 ITF AGM agenda](https://www.itftennis.com/media/2448/2019-itf-agm-agenda-eng.pdf)
10. [El dobles, señor juez del nuevo formato de la Copa Davis, El País](https://elpais.com/deportes/tenis/2024-11-21/el-dobles-senor-juez-del-nuevo-formato-de-la-copa-davis.html)
11. [The Davis Cup Format Wars and Tennis' Oldest Team Event, Tennis Without Borders](https://www.tenniswithoutborders.com/davis-cup-format-wars/)
12. [Improved scheduling and enhanced fan experience the focus for Davis Cup Finals, ITF](https://legacy-daviscup.itftennis.com/en/news/317968.aspx)
13. [La revolución a medias de la Copa Davis, El País](https://elpais.com/deportes/tenis/2025-11-22/la-revolucion-a-medias-de-la-copa-davis-mejoria-pero-escasean-las-figuras.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Racket and precision ball sports › Tennis › Team and multi-sport tennis competitions › Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup › Davis Cup editions (Finals era, 2019–present)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license