By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, September 12, 2025
Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
American singles stars aim to stake the United States to a strong start in Delray Beach today.
World No. 29 Frances Tiafoe opens the USA’s Davis Cup Second Round Qualifying Tie against Czechia facing No. 16 Jiri Lehecka at 6 p.m. today on the hard court of the Delray Beach Tennis Center.
American No. 1 Taylor Fritz takes on Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik immediately after the Tiafoe-Lehecka match.
A trip to the Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna, Italy is at stake in this weekend’s qualifier. The USA is without original team members Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, who each withdrew nursing injuries.
Tiafoe, who is 1-5 lifetime in Davis Cup singles play, is intent on bouncing back from a disappointing US Open that saw him fall to German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff on Grandstand Court.
“Yeah, obviously the Open wasn’t what I had hoped, for sure,” Tiafoe said. “But I’m here now. I’m here at
Davis Cup, here with guys I really enjoy being around.
I love being in this area. I live in this area. I’m just trying to move past that. It is what it is. I’m happy to be here and happy to be with these guys and play for Bob [Bryan]. Try to get some wins for us and get us to
where we’re trying to go.”
The USA-Czechia tie is one of seven home-and-away ties being played around the world this weekend as part of the second round of Qualifying with the victorious nations advancing to the Davis Cup Final 8.
The U.S. defeated Chinese Taipei in its first round Qualifying tie earlier this year, while Czechia advanced past South Korea. The United States has defeated Czechia in five of the prior six Davis Cup encounters between the nations.
Though Fritz was not at the pre-tie press conference with the rest of the American squad, Captain Bob Bryan, a new Hall of Famer, is confident the 2024 US Open finalist will be ready to go today. If Fritz can’t play, then Reilly Opelka could play.
“[Fritz] wants to play, he wants to be on the draw. You know, you have to get a doctor’s notice
and all this stuff, a letter, to be removed from the draw, so he’s confident he’s going to be playing tomorrow,” Bob Bryan said. “He just wants to get full recovery, you know, give 100% for the match.”
Play begins Friday night at 6 p.m. E.T. with the first two singles matches and concludes with a doubles match and two reverse singles on Saturday. The first nation to win three matches wins the tie and advances. The matches will be televised on Tennis Channel.
The U.S. Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup teams are 5-0 all-time when competing at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. The U.S. Davis Cup Team last played in Delray in 2004 and defeated Sweden with Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, and Bob and Mike Bryan.
USA vs. Czechia Match Schedule
Friday, September 12 (6 p.m. ET)
Frances Tiafoe (USA) v. Jiri Lehecka (CZE)
Taylor Fritz (USA) v. Jakub Mensik (CZE)
Saturday, September 13 (2 p.m. ET)
Austin Krajicek/Rajeev Ram (USA) v. Adam Pavlasek/Tomas Machac (CZE)
Fritz (USA) v. Lehecka (CZE)
Tiafoe (USA) v. Mensik (CZE)
