Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Returns to Alabama in February

The USTA announced that the Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex (BJCC) in Birmingham, Ala., has been selected as the site for the 2017 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group First Round between the United States and Switzerland, Feb. 3-5. Davis Cup will return to Birmingham for the first time since 2009, when the city also hosted Switzerland in the World Group First Round at the BJCC. In that tie, the U.S. team of Andy Roddick, James Blake, and Bob and Mike Bryan defeated Switzerland, 4-1. The Swiss team was led by 2016 US Open singles champion Stan Wawrinka.

Founded in 1900, Davis Cup by BNP Paribas is the World Cup of Tennis and is the largest annual international team competition in sport with approximately 135 nations competing each year.

The best-of-five match series between the U.S. and Switzerland begins on Friday, Feb. 3, with two singles matches featuring each country’s No. 1 player against the other country’s No. 2 player. Saturday’s schedule features the pivotal doubles match. And the final day of play on Sunday features the two “reverse singles” matches, when the No. 1 players square off, followed by the No. 2 players meeting each other in the final match. All matches are best-of-five tiebreak sets; the first country to win three matches wins the tie. A revised schedule for Sunday may take place if a team clinches in the third or fourth match.

“Birmingham was a fantastic host for our players, fans, and staff in 2009 and we are thrilled to be coming back,” said Katrina Adams, USTA Chairman of the Board, CEO, and President. “Davis Cup is a unique event and we look forward to showcasing high-quality tennis, while also growing the game in this community. We expect fans to fill the stands and to come out once again to cheer on Team USA to victory in our first step to the Davis Cup trophy.”

Tickets will go on sale to the public on Friday, Dec. 9, at 10 a.m. CT. An exclusive pre-sale for USTA members will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 7, and Thursday, Dec. 8. From Friday, Dec. 9, through Thursday, Jan. 5, only three-day ticket packages will be sold at prices ranging from $90 to $500 ($30 to $166 per day), representing the greatest initial ticket value. Beginning on Friday, Jan. 6, at 10 a.m. CT and pending availability, fans will then have access to only single-day tickets for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday with prices ranging from $40 to $175 per day. Fans are encouraged to purchase three-day ticket packages to take advantage of the best prices and to ensure availability.

Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.usta.com/daviscup or by calling 888-484-USTA (8782).

The USTA has partnered with Bruno Events Team and The City of Birmingham to bring this event to Birmingham.

“Showcasing such a high-caliber tennis event right here in Birmingham is extremely exciting for our city,” stated Gene Hallman, CEO of Bruno Event Team and Executive Director of the Alabama Sports Council. “This event will reinforce Birmingham’s reputation as being a superior host to a wide variety of sporting events and we couldn’t be more excited to once again bring world-class tennis to Birmingham."

 “It’s an honor for the City of Birmingham to be selected to host the 2017 Davis Cup First Round tie with the USA versus Switzerland,” stated City of Birmingham Mayor William Bell. “The city has been working hard to bring this event back to Birmingham for quite some time and everything has finally come together. We look forward to hosting both teams and expect fans to come out and support the event."

The winner of this tie advances to the World Group Quarterfinal, April 7-9, and will play either the Czech Republic or Australia. The losing nation will compete in the World Group Playoff, Sept. 15-17, for the right to remain in the World Group in 2018. 

U.S. Davis Cup Team Captain Jim Courier will select the four players to represent the United States no later than ten days prior to the event. The U.S. team is expected to be led by Top 25 players Jack Sock and John Isner. 

The U.S. holds a 3-1 record over the Switzerland in Davis Cup. The U.S. last faced Switzerland in the 2012 World Group First Round in Fribourg, Switzerland. The U.S. swept that tie, 5-0, with Isner upsetting Roger Federer and Mardy Fish beating Wawrinka before the Bryan brothers secured the win for the U.S. In addition to facing Switzerland in Birmingham in 2009, the U.S. also squared off against the Swiss in 1992 and 2001, with Switzerland’s only win coming in 2001. 

The site selection is subject to final approval by the International Tennis Federation. 

Tennis Channel will present live daily coverage of the World Group First Round. 

The U.S. leads all nations with 32 Davis Cup titles. Overall, Team USA holds a 216-70 all-time Davis Cup record and owns the longest uninterrupted run in the World Group, dating back to 1989. For more information, including access to player and historical Davis Cup records, please go to www.usta.com/daviscup or www.daviscup.com. Follow the U.S. Davis Cup team on Twitter @USDavisCupTeam. Wilson is the official ball of the U.S. Davis Cup team.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 715,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the Emirates Airline US Open Series, linking seven summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships and helps under-resourced youth and individuals with disabilities, and supports wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and their families. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com, “like” the official Facebook page, facebook.com/usta, or follow @usta on Twitter.