VANCOUVER — Playing the opening match gives Liam Draxl the opportunity to start Canada off on the right foot against Brazil when the Davis Cup Qualifiers first round begins Friday.
Draxl, ranked 145th in the world, faces Joao Lucas Reis da Silva, ranked No. 207, in the first singles match.
“I’m just looking forward to setting the tone,” Draxl, of Newmarket, Ont., said after Thursday’s draw. “For sure nerves, excitement are both going to be there.
“I’m just looking forward to having fun with it, connecting with my boys, and just going for it.”
Reis da Silva feels confident after a good week of practice.
“It’s going to be a tough match because he’s a great competitor,” said the right-handled native of Recife, Brazil.
Friday’s other match will see Montreal’s Gabriel Diallo play Gustavo Heide.
On paper, it should be an easy match for the No. 39 Diallo, Canada’s top-ranked player at the tie. It will be the first time he’s faced Heide, ranked 253rd, but he’s taking nothing for granted and plans to focus on his strengths.
“On these surfaces (matches) go very fast,” said Diallo. “Players will be rewarded for playing quite aggressive.
“We’re all going to focus on our game and what we do well and give ourselves a chance to win.”
Diallo arrives after suffering a first-round loss to German’s Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open. Last year was his first full season on tour where he broke into the top-50, climbing as high as No. 33. He won his first tour-level title on grass at the Libema Open in the Netherlands.
Heide said Diallo’s booming serve is the Canadian’s biggest weapon.
“It’s going to be a really tough match,” said the native of Sao Paulo.
Canada comes into the competition ranked No. 9 while Brazil is No. 18.
The tie will be played at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at the University of British Columbia.
The competition will be best-of-five matches, with each contest being best-of-three sets.
On Saturday, Draxl and Calgary’s Cleeve Harper will face Orlando Luz and Rafael Matos in a doubles match while Diallo meets Reis da Silva in singles.
If needed, Draxl will play Heider in singles.
Harper and Draxl are in tough against the Brazilian pair that lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
“We are prepared to get out there and have a good match,” said Harper. “They are tough players. They’re full of confidence.
“Me and Drax … are a good team. We’re prepared for the challenge.”
On Saturday a ceremony will be held to honour Vasek Pospisil, the Canadian tennis veteran who recently announced his retirement.
Diallo said he remembers watching the Vernon, B.C., native on television.
“Being a young kid watching him compete for his nation, it was super inspiring and it was something I wanted to do,” he said. “Then having the privilege to share the court with him many times in Davis Cup, I learned a lot from him.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a very nice ceremony and hopefully we can honour him with a good performance.”
The winning country will advance to the Davis Cup Qualifiers second round in September against either France or Slovakia. The loser will compete in the World Cup Group I in September.
If the Canadians win this weekend, they’re guaranteed to host the next tie in a venue yet to be confirmed.
This will be the first meeting between Canada and Brazil since 2007 and the seventh overall. Brazil leads the head-to-head series 4-2 and won that most-recent meeting 18 years ago 3-1 on clay in Brazil.
Last year Canada lost to Hungary in the 2025 Qualifiers first round at IGA Stadium in Montreal.
It will be the first time a Davis Cup tie has been played in Vancouver since 2015 when Canada defeated Japan.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2026.
Jim Morris, The Canadian Press
