Davis Cup

an international tennis competition for teams of men representing different countries, or the cup which is presented every year to the country whose team wins this competition. It began in 1900 and is named after Dwight F Davis, who gave the cup.

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Trophy awarded to the winning team of an international tennis tournament for men.

It was donated in 1900 by Dwight F. Davis, himself a player in the first two matches (called ties), for a competition between teams from the U.S. and Britain. Since then, the tournament has developed into a truly international event. More than 100 nations have participated, but winners have been largely confined to the U.S, Australia, France, Britain, and Sweden.

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▪ sports trophy

  Davis Cup Table trophy awarded to the winner of an annual international lawn- tennis tournament originally for amateur men's teams. The official name is the International Lawn Tennis Challenge Trophy. The trophy was donated in 1900 by American Dwight F. Davis for a competition between teams from the United States and Great Britain. Davis himself played on winning U.S. teams in the first two meetings (1900 and 1902). From the start, Davis Cup rounds consisted of four singles matches and one doubles match. In 1904 Belgium and France entered the competition. Since 1912 the tournament has been under the supervision of the International Lawn Tennis Federation and has grown to truly international proportions, with the world divided into several zones and zone champions playing each other for the right to enter the finals. From 1972 the previous winner, heretofore only playing in the finals, had to play through zone competition. From 1970 professional players registered with national associations were permitted to compete. Until the 1980s, Australia, the United States, Great Britain, and France dominated the competition. (For a list of Davis Cup winners, see table (Davis Cup).)

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