Argentine Davis Cup team captain Javier Frana confirmed Francisco Cerúndolo, Thiago Tirante, Mariano Navone, Guido Andreozzi, and Andrés Molteni as the players set to face Türkiye on September 19 and 20 in Neuquén.
The World Group I tie will be played at the Ruca Che Stadium on a fast, indoor court specially installed for the occasion. Argentina will seek a victory that will allow it to return to the 2027 qualifiers, the stage leading to the Davis Cup finals.
This will be the first time the tournament is held in Patagonia.
“It’s been a difficult process. Fortunately, that happens because we have a large number of players who have earned their spots. It’s very positive to have such a large number and variety of players,” Frana said when announcing the roster.
The most notable absence will be Horacio Zeballos, the world No. 3 in doubles. Frana attributed the absence to “personal matters and an immigration process.”
The players
Francisco Cerúndolo will be the team’s top singles player. In 2026, the No. 25-ranked player in the ATP rankings won the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires and the ATP 500 at Queen’s, the most important title of his career.
Cerúndolo has 11 Davis Cup appearances under his belt. His most recent was last November in the Bologna Finals, when he lost to Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals against Germany.
Joining him will be Thiago Tirante (ATP ranking No. 42) and the Argentine player who has made the biggest leap this season.
Tirante was already part of the team that faced South Korea in Busan in February. Over the past few weeks he has secured the two most important victories of his career, beating Novak Djokovic (No. 5) in Cincinnati and Taylor Fritz (No. 8) in Montreal.
Mariano Navone (No. 48) was also called up. He won his first ATP title this year in Bucharest while also raking up some high-profile victories along the way, the most significant of which was against Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 4) in Rome.
This will be Navone’s second Davis Cup appearance. He made his debut on the road against Norway in the 2025 Qualifiers and was the star of a memorable moment, winning the fifth and decisive point against Nicolai Budkov Kjaer to give Argentina a 3-2 victory.
The roster is rounded out by two doubles specialists. Guido Andreozzi (ranked 15th in doubles) won the Indian Wells Masters 1000 this year alongside France’s Manuel Guinard. Like Tirante, he made his debut with Argentina in the series against South Korea, when he won the doubles point alongside Federico Gómez.
Andrés Molteni (ranked 61st in doubles) has participated in ten Davis Cup series. His most recent appearance came against Germany in 2025, when he and Zeballos lost to Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz.
Argentina’s path back to contention
Argentina was eliminated from the 2026 Qualifiers following an away loss to South Korea in February. To return to that stage, it must defeat Türkiye, which advanced to World Group I after defeating Slovenia 3-1 on the road.
The Turkish team’s top players are Mert Alkaya (No. 295) and Yanki Erel (No. 303).
For Argentina, the match will also have a special statistical significance: the team has 99 victories in Davis Cup history and will be looking to reach 100.
The series will begin on Saturday, September 19, with the two singles matches. The doubles match, as well as the two remaining singles matches if necessary, will be played on Sunday. The draw to determine the order of play will take place on Friday, September 18.
Neuquén will be the sixth Argentine province to host a series, following San Juan, Córdoba, Mendoza, Santa Fe, and Buenos Aires, in addition to Buenos Aires City.
It will also mark the national team’s first home appearance since February 2024, when it defeated Kazakhstan in Rosario.
The Argentine Tennis Association (AAT) President Agustín Calleri highlighted what seeing a Davis Cup series means for people outside Buenos Aires.
“We know exactly what it means for a province to host an event of this caliber and to be able to see the best Argentine tennis players at home,” he said.
Cover photo: Francisco Cerúndolo and Davis Cup team captain, Javier Frana (credit: Argentine Tennis Association).
