The Story So Far: NZ’s Rise to Davis Cup Group I

Ahead of NZ taking on Japan at The Trusts Arena 19 & 20 September, we take a look at the NZ Davis Cup team's recent history, and how we got to this high level of the world cup of tennis.

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“Changing of the guard” is a cliché thrown around tennis a lot. Often describing a sudden evolution of generations, as players who have been a consistent presence reach the twilight of their careers, giving space for the young and hungry, itching to make a name for themselves.

It’s a fitting description for what was happening in Palmerston North in 2024, as New Zealand were facing Luxembourg in World Group II of the Davis Cup.

New Zealand’s “old guard” of Marcus Daniell, Artem Sitak and Rubin Statham were all but fully “changed”. Daniell was to retire at the following ASB Classic, Sitak was already embracing post-player life and was named the non-playing captain of the New Zealand Davis Cup team, and Statham had announced Luxembourg to be his final tie before retirement.

In his record 35th Davis Cup tie, the most for any New Zealander, Statham also held the record for the most Davis Cup singles wins by a New Zealander, with 29. But that experience wasn’t enough to wrestle the tie from the talented Luxembourg team, as Alex Knaff notched his second singles win of the weekend, defeating Statham 6-3, 6-2, to win the overall tie 3-2.

Not before New Zealand’s new guard had a chance to show what they were capable of. Moments before, debutant Jack Loutit, only 20 years old, played the match of his life defeating the formidable Chris Rodesch, who himself was on a 16-match win streak. While less than 12 months later Rodesch would qualify for the Wimbledon main draw, it was Loutit’s moment to assure New Zealand fans that our singles players could remain highly competitive.

Despite glimpses of brilliance, New Zealand left Palmerston North with a sense of unfinished business.


Above: Jack Loutit celebrates his victory over Luxembourg's Chris Rodesch, September 2024.

Avoiding World Group III Relegation

The next test was a rare away tie against Jamaica in Kingston. With Statham gone, Ajeet Rai was the most capped player, marking a new era for the team, and it was Rai and Finn Reynolds who got New Zealand on the board with a doubles win.

Once again, Jack Loutit stepped up in singles, winning both his matches in tough three-setters to avoid relegation and breathe life into New Zealand’s Davis Cup campaign.

Returning to Palmerston North

Having sold out Palmerston North’s Fly Palmy Arena the year before, New Zealand elected to host the next tie in Palmerston North again, hoping to score a victory for the home crowd and avenge the Luxembourg loss from a year prior.

Georgia were the opponents, a team with former world No. 16 Nikoloz Basilashvili at their disposal. The decision to leave him at home may have proven costly, as an unfortunate training injury took out their next best singles player, Saba Purtseladze, two days before the tie.

While the odds began to favour the Kiwis, the job was not done, and this time it was another debutant in James Watt who would be the star of the show. In his first call-up to the team, Watt won both his singles matches in straight sets, utilising his thunderous serve and aggressive net play.

As celebrations broke out in Fly Palmy Arena, captain Artem Sitak addressed the crowd.

“Last year we were so close, we really felt like we had unfinished business in Palmy, and so thank you for coming out and for helping us get the win this year.”


Above: James Watt wins his second singles match, winning the overall tie against Georgia, September 2025.

Our Shot at the Big Leagues

Earning a play-off spot for World Group I, New Zealand were on the verge of mixing with some true powerhouse nations. It was Bosnia & Herzegovina that stood in the way, and with a sold-out Whangārei crowd, the stage was set for a memorable tie.

However, another slow start put New Zealand on the back foot early. After day one, New Zealand were 0-2 down, losing the first two singles matches. It would take something special the next day to reverse our fortune against the same players.

The energy was different on Sunday. The Kiwis came out with intent and quickly made it clear that they weren’t going to be pushed over. Once again, the doubles combination of Rai and Reynolds was rock solid, taking care of business in less than an hour, having not faced a single break point.

Above: Finn Reynolds (left) and Ajeet Rai (right) with a dominant doubles win against Bosnia & Herzegovina, February 2026.

The singles were a different story. Watt came out next to play Nedic, the world No. 255, who a day prior had defeated Anton Shepp in three sets. Watt raised his level from the previous day, serving 15 aces with no double faults, and was able to take the match in straight sets despite being outranked by nearly 300 places in the ATP singles rankings.

After the match, Watt admitted in the second-set tiebreak he was beginning to cramp, but pushed through.
“I was cramping in that tiebreak, but I wanted to put my body on the line for my country.”

Once again, New Zealand had fought back from 0-2 to level the tie at 2-2, the exact same situation they were in against Luxembourg. But this time it was Anton Shepp, continuing the trend of a debutant not only rising to the occasion, but thriving under the pressure.

Within the last 12 months, Shepp had graduated from the US college system in Nebraska and was embarking on his first year on tour. He won his first singles title in front of his friends and family at the inaugural Bayleys Open in Hamilton, mere minutes away from where the Hamiltonian grew up. It showed that he was a big-match player, who fed off lively home crowds.

With his 10th ace on match point, Shepp fell to the ground, his face buried in his hands. The Whangārei crowd were on their feet after witnessing an epic comeback from the team.


Above: The NZ team celebrate Anton Shepp's victory against Mirza Basic, winning the tie, February 2026.

“I couldn’t do it without you guys, thank you very much,” Shepp said in his post-match interview.

The victory moved New Zealand into World Group I, alongside well-established Grand Slam nations like Australia, Serbia, Brazil, Norway and Argentina, to name a few. Some of these countries have won the Davis Cup, who have household names in their teams like Novak Djokovic, Alex de Minaur, João Fonseca and Casper Ruud.

New Zealand drew Japan, who are facing their own changing of the guard, with former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori set to retire at the end of the year. Team member Shintaro Mochizuki has also just reached the fourth round of Wimbledon.

The tie is set to be a true test for the young New Zealand team, but if they've proved anything over the last few years it's that when backed by a passionate home crowd, they can play well above their rankings and challenge anyone.

Set for September 19 and 20 at The Trusts Arena in Auckland, a custom indoor tennis court will be laid for the event. With thousands of tickets already sold, a famous Davis Cup atmosphere is guaranteed.

Be a part of it: secure your tickets now before they sell out.

Tickets from only $25.

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