Tennis
Who is the Most Successful Davis Cup Team in History?
Held up as a premier tennis tournament, the Davis Cup provides a different complexion to the Laver Cup . Rather than being the Ryder Cup of tennis, which pits two teams against each other, the Davis Cup is more globalised, acting as the sport’s equivalent of the World Cup. The singles and doubles ties are fiercely contested, but the feverish levels of support generated by the crowd reflects the immense national pride in this event. Some countries have left an indelible mark on this tournament during its history. But which country has the most Davis Cup titles and which are the best Davis Cup nations? SportsBoom has trawled through the archives, analyzed the available data, and used our bespoke model to reach a concrete conclusion.
Aegon GB Davis Cup Team of Andy Murray, James Ward, Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot /Getty Images
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Most Successful Davis Cup Nations
This evaluation was thorough. We combined a statistical analysis of the countries and their total Davis Cup titles claimed with expert and media perception of their historical dominance to provide a comprehensive ranking. Fusing these elements brought about the ‘SB Market Index’, a custom-built model which ensured results were balanced and devoid of bias.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis from the top 10 tennis and sports media sources measures how prominently each nation is featured in discussions of the “greatest” or “most dominant” teams in the history of the Davis Cup.
| Source Name | United States | Australia | Great Britain | France | Sweden |
| Davis Cup Official Site – “Most Titles” list | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Wikipedia – Davis Cup All-Time Records & Statistics | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tennis.com – “Ranking the Davis Cup Powerhouses” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| ATP Tour News – “History of the Davis Cup” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Bleacher Report – “Top 5 Davis Cup Nations Ever” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| EssentiallySports – “A Look Back at Davis Cup History” | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Last Word on Sports – “Davis Cup’s Greatest Teams” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tennishead – “A Look Back at Davis Cup History” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Reddit r/tennis – Fan Polls on “Best Davis Cup nation” | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| UbiTennis – Analysis of Davis Cup Dominance | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Mentions | 10 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
SB Score
| Country (Team) | Titles | First Title | Last Title | SB Score |
| United States | 32 | 1900 | 2007 | 1.000 |
| Australia | 28 | 1907 | 2003 | 0.875 |
| Great Britain | 10 | 1903 | 2015 | 0.313 |
| France | 10 | 1927 | 2017 | 0.313 |
| Sweden | 7 | 1975 | 1998 | 0.219 |
This score is calculated based on the total number of Davis Cup titles won (100% weightage). The raw stats are used to calculate the final SB Score.
SB Market Index
| Rank | Country (Team) | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | United States | 1.000 | 10 | 8.200 |
| 2 | Australia | 0.875 | 10 | 8.175 |
| 3 | Sweden | 0.219 | 9 | 7.244 |
| 4 | France | 0.313 | 8 | 6.463 |
| 5 | Great Britain | 0.313 | 7 | 5.663 |
Sweden: The Golden Era Giants
Muscling into the picture was Sweden, and they were a force to be reckoned with in the Davis Cup. That was largely down to Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander. Borg, who is also on the list of players with the most ATP Tour titles, thrived in the competition with a 45-11 win/loss record, while Wilander picked up the baton, and the Swedes accrued seven titles overall.
Although their excellent ‘Industry Insights’ score wasn’t quite replicated by their ‘SB Score’, Sweden came third in the top Davis Cup countries ranked.
The Powerhouses: United States and Australia
Routinely lording it over their rivals, the United States’ Davis Cup record was incredible. With 32 wins amassed, they are the most successful Davis Cup team of all time, and they have reached the Final on 61 occasions. The 1990s were a halcyon period, and among the best American tennis players in their ranks included Pete Sampras and Jim Courier. Their enduring success was backed up by a perfect ‘Industry Insights’ rating and an exceptional SB Score.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Davis Cup history has been littered with success. A 28-20 win/loss record in the Final pays testament to this. Like the United States, Australia gained a solid ‘SB Score’, and they won plenty of favour from the media experts judging by their ‘Industry Insights’ score.
The European Challengers: France and Great Britain
France claimed 10 Davis Cup wins, and the roots of their success were initially laid by the ‘three musketeers’ in the 1920s and 1930s (Rene Lacoste, Jacques Brugnon, and Henri Cochet), who were all unique personalities and brought their special playing styles to the court. With a strong legacy, France contributed a lot to the Davis Cup winners’ history reel, and they returned a strong ‘Industry Insights’ rating.
Like France, Great Britain have also won the Davis Cup on 10 occasions. While their fortunes have fluctuated more recently, Andy Murray, who is one of the best British male tennis players of all time, ended his country’s 79-year wait for the title, delivering the crucial point in the 2015 victory over Belgium. A decent ‘Industry Insights’ rating illustrated the impact they had on the event.
Conclusion on the World Cup of Tennis
In summary, there was little separating the United States and Australia in our comprehensive ranking system, which underpins the stranglehold both have had on the Davis Cup.
The Davis Cup has provided compelling narratives over the years, and there is a distinctly patriot spirit that has been formed by the fans. The other countries mentioned in this guide should also be celebrated as they have more than contributed to the rich history of this competition.
This tournament continues to inspire, and we can’t wait to see how future editions unfold.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.