The 2026 Davis Cup Africa Group IV was officially launched at the Nairobi Club, marking the prestigious tournament’s return to Kenya after six years of absence.
Scheduled from June 17 to 20, the event will bring together eight nations competing for advancement to Africa Group III.
“This signifies the return of continental Davis Cup tennis to Nairobi after a six-year gap, providing a significant boost to local tennis development and demonstrating Kenya’s dedication to African sports excellence,” stated Tennis Kenya Deputy President Martha Tirop during the launch.
Kenya is set to host Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Congo DRC, Ghana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe in this competition.
Tournament Director Francis Mutuku emphasized the advantage of playing at home.
“Our team having the opportunity to play on home soil is a significant advantage because they know the surface, they are familiar with the club area, and crucially, we always have the additional support of fans who can come and cheer them on,” he explained.
The competition format will consist of two pools of four teams playing round-robin matches from Wednesday to Friday.
The top two teams from each pool will compete on Saturday, with the winners securing promotion to Group III. Teams placing third and fourth will engage in relegation matches to avoid dropping to Group V.
Entry costs are set at Kshs. 1000 for a season ticket and Kshs. 300 per day, with the revenue allocated to support Tennis Kenya’s player development initiatives.
Mutuku highlighted the wider impact: “The benefits of hosting at the micro level include job creation, enhancing capacity across all levels of the ecosystem, including the line judges’ program.
On a macro level, sport is a key driver of tourism through sports tourism.”
Tirop added that the Davis Cup is part of a larger vision: “The Davis Cup is not merely about one week of matches. It is part of a comprehensive strategy to establish Kenya as a center for tennis in Africa, a place where talent is cultivated, officials acquire expertise, and international events are conducted professionally and hospitably.”