Norrie and Fearnley to lead Davis Cup team in relegation play-off

With Jack Draper out of action due to injury, Cameron Norrie and Jacob Fearnley will be first-choice singles players for the Davis Cup relegation play-off in Poland next week.

Due to an arm injury that had hampered his preparations for the US Open, world number five Draper withdrew from the event last week before breaking into his second-round tie.

When Britain and the unseeded Poles square off in a World Group I best-of-five tie on September 12 and 13, in Gdynia, they will aim to avoid falling from the top tier of the Davis Cup.

Norrie advanced to the fourth round of Roland Garros, defeating Daniil Medvedev and fellow compatriot Fearnley, before making it to Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals this year.

GB captain Leon Smith stated, “Norrie has had a really, really good year, and he has started to make some excellent progress on the clay.”

“He’s in a really good position, and having a player like him play for the team with his experience and Davis Cup record is wonderful.”

On his Davis Cup debut in January, Fearnley, who is ranked 60th overall, defeated Kei Nishikori in straight sets to win the tournament.

Roberto Bautista Agut, a veteran of the US Open main draw, was also defeated by the 24-year-old this week.

We are aware of his rapid rise in the rankings over the past 18 months, and it was really satisfying to see him outclass Agut in a performance, Smith said.

The team includes Arthur Fery, 23, who defeated Alexei Popyrin, the 20th seed, at Wimbledon in June and won his first Challenger title in Colombia this month.

In the relegation tie, world number one doubles duo Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash will also make their professional debuts.

After falling to Japan in the first-round of the 2025 Davis Cup with a score of 3-2 in February, Norrie and Draper were eliminated from the play-off.

To advance to the first qualifying round of the 2026 event and to maintain their eight-team championship title this year, Smith’s team must win.

“Poland are a strong team, and away ties are always challenging,” Smith said.