Spain produced one of the most remarkable comebacks in Davis Cup history on Sunday, overturning a 0-2 deficit against Denmark to book their place in the tournament’s Final 8. On the same day, Belgium held off a spirited Australian resurgence in Sydney, sealing their qualification in a dramatic fifth rubber.
Both ties provided a fitting conclusion to a tense weekend of World Group action, with Spain and Belgium joining Argentina, Austria, France, Germany, Czech Republic, and defending champions Italy in the elite field headed to Bologna, Italy, for the November finals.
The stage was set for heartbreak in Marbella on Saturday, as Denmark stunned the home crowd by winning the opening two singles rubbers. World No. 11 Holger Rune had given the Danes early momentum with a composed straight-sets victory, while Elmer Møller’s gritty win over Jaume Munar deepened the deficit. Spain suddenly found themselves staring at elimination before the weekend’s halfway mark.
But Sunday brought a different story. The doubles pairing of Pedro Martínez and Munar gave the hosts a lifeline, grinding out a four-set victory that restored hope and reignited the atmosphere inside the packed arena. That momentum carried into the fourth rubber, where Martínez faced Rune in what became the tie’s defining match.
Rune, favored to clinch the tie for Denmark, held match point in the third set. Yet Martínez refused to fold. Playing with tenacity and feeding off the Spanish supporters, he clawed back to force a decisive tiebreak. With everything on the line, the Spaniard elevated his game, sealing a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(3) triumph that evened the score at 2-2.
The decider fell to Pablo Carreño Busta, one of Spain’s most experienced Davis Cup campaigners. Showing no nerves, he dominated Møller 6-2, 6-3 to complete the turnaround. It was the first time Spain had ever recovered from 0-2 down in the competition, adding a historic layer to their victory.
“It was about fighting until the very end,” Carreño Busta said afterward. “We believed in ourselves, and the crowd carried us. This is the Davis Cup, and this is why it’s so special.”
Across the globe in Sydney, Belgium faced their own rollercoaster. After securing both singles wins on Saturday, they looked primed for a straightforward qualification. But Australia, led by Alex de Minaur, mounted a ferocious comeback attempt.
De Minaur, Australia’s top player, dispatched Zizou Bergs in straight sets to put his nation on the board. The doubles pairing of Jordan Thompson and Rinky Hijikata then fed off the home support, toppling Belgium’s duo to tie the series at 2-2. The tension inside Ken Rosewall Arena reached fever pitch as the tie headed to a deciding fifth rubber.
Raphael Collignon, already the hero of Saturday’s play after upsetting de Minaur, found himself with the weight of Belgium’s campaign on his shoulders. His opponent, Aleksandar Vukic, took the opening set in a tense tiebreak, swinging the momentum toward Australia.
But Collignon, ranked outside the world’s top 100, showed remarkable poise. He steadied his groundstrokes, attacked Vukic’s second serve, and turned the match around to win 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3. With his arms aloft, he sealed Belgium’s passage into the Final 8, silencing the home crowd but igniting celebrations back in Brussels.
“Today I just trusted myself,” Collignon said. “It was not easy after losing the first set, but I knew if I kept fighting, my chance would come.”
The results in Marbella and Sydney complete the eight-team lineup for November’s showdown in Bologna, scheduled for November 18–23. Italy, as defending champions and hosts, will be joined by Germany, France, Argentina, Austria, Czech Republic, Spain, and Belgium.
The Final 8 format condenses the competition into a week of knockout tennis, with quarterfinals leading into semifinals and a title match. The structure places a premium on team depth, as ties are contested over two singles rubbers and one doubles match.
For Spain, the weekend’s comeback has injected confidence into a squad that has sometimes struggled without Rafael Nadal in recent years. Martínez’s resilience against Rune and Carreño Busta’s steady hand suggest the team remains a serious contender.
Belgium, meanwhile, will enter Bologna with momentum and an unexpected star in Collignon, whose clutch performances could inspire further surprises. Australia, despite falling short, demonstrated grit that will serve them in future campaigns, particularly with doubles proving a consistent strength.
The weekend’s drama reinforces the Davis Cup’s reputation as one of tennis’s most unpredictable and emotionally charged competitions. Unlike individual tournaments, national pride and team dynamics often swing results in unexpected ways.
Spain’s 0-2 comeback will be remembered as a landmark in its tennis history, adding to a legacy that already includes multiple titles and legends like Nadal, David Ferrer, and Carlos Moyà. For Belgium, advancing past a higher-ranked Australian side is another chapter in their reputation as resilient underdogs on the international stage.
As Bologna prepares to host the climactic week, fans and players alike know that momentum and belief—rather than rankings alone—often decide who lifts the Davis Cup. And after this weekend, both Spain and Belgium have proven they have plenty of both.
Read more in Sports section for full coverage of the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna.