Davis Cup 2025: Belgium Pulls Off the Feat and Reaches the Finals, Australia Knocked Out in Qualifiers

In search of a flawless performance to reach the Davis Cup Final 8 this Sunday, Australia suffered a bitter defeat against Belgium. Despite the heroic efforts of the Hijikata/Thompson duo, as well as Vukic and De Minaur, the Kangaroos, who were mounting a comeback, ultimately could not turn the tide.

Australia began Sunday knowing they needed to win all three of the day's matches to reach the Davis Cup 2025 Final 8. After Alex De Minaur's loss to Raphaël Collignon and Jordan Thompson's defeat to Zizou Bergs, the Kangaroo nation was in serious danger in this competition.

In Sydney, and spurred on by their home crowd, Lleyton Hewitt's players managed to level the score at 2–2. First, the doubles pair of Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson turned the tables against the duo of Sander Gilles and Joran Vliegen (6–7, 6–3, 6–4), narrowing the gap and reigniting suspense for the entire tie.

Then, seeking redemption after his opening loss, De Minaur aimed to make amends and did just that against Bergs. Broken twice in the second set, the world No. 8 made his comeback at the best possible moment, just as his opponent was serving for the set.

Ultimately, De Minaur won the last three games of the match to triumph (6–2, 7–5) and reset the score. An entire nation began to believe again, and the final match of this thrilling showdown pitted Aleksandar Vukic against Raphaël Collignon.

A key player for his team in Oceania, Collignon found the resources to win after dropping the first set (6–7, 6–2, 6–3). With 13 aces to his name, he also saved both break points he faced.

After a nail-biting finish and the final set of the final match in this captivating tie, Belgium advances to the Davis Cup Final 8 and can still dream of a first title in the competition, after three lost finals.

As for Australia, the second most successful nation in Davis Cup history, this is a true disappointment. A semifinalist last year and a finalist in 2022 and 2023, the Australian team bows out in the qualifiers this year and will not travel to Bologna this November.