Ben Shelton slated for Davis Cup debut in November's Final 8 in Malaga, Spain

The U.S. Davis Cup team will be bolstered in its attempts to win a record-extending 33rd Davis Cup title next month by 2023 US Open semifinalist Ben Shelton. 

The left-hander, in his debut Davis Cup nomination, will be compete with Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek on captain Bob Bryan's team in the upcoming Davis Cup Final 8, to be played from Nov. 19-24 at the Jose Maria Martin Carpena Arena in Malaga, Spain. 

The U.S. earned its spot in the quarterfinal round by virtue of going 3-0 in Group C play just over two weeks ago in Zhuhai, China, and will face Australia on a to-be-determined date in its first appearance in the Davis Cup quarterfinals since 2022. The winner will face the winner of the quarterfinal between Argentina and Italy, with Spain, the Netherlands, Canada and Germany making up the four nations on the other side of the bracket.

The U.S. has not won the Davis Cup title since 2007, when Bryan was a player on the team. 

"Our team is excited about the opportunity to travel to Malaga in November to compete for the trophy," Bryan said. "The draw is full of strong teams, but our players are ready for the challenge and look forward to facing a tough Aussie squad in the quarterfinals.

"I want to give big props to our guys who competed in China last week and qualified us for the Final 8. It was an incredible effort, especially by Brandon Nakashima, who went undefeated in his Davis Cup debut. I was also really proud of Reilly Opelka for stepping up and winning big matches for our team. As captain, I’m grateful to all the players who prioritize representing our country in this historic competition. U.S. men’s tennis has an impressive roster to choose from, and I know our players not only have the belief but also share a special camaraderie, which makes these Davis Cup weeks so much fun."

Fritz and Paul, the top two American players in the ATP rankings, are expected to play Davis Cup together for the first time this year, while Krajicek and Ram will suit up together for the ninth consecutive time.

Fritz has played in nine Davis Cup ties since debuting in 2019 and had recorded a 6-3 overall record. One of those wins for the current world No. 7 came in February's qualifying round against Ukraine in what was a 4-0 U.S. victory. Paul, the world No. 13, has played in nine career Davis Cup ties since debuting in 2020 and has a 5-3 record in singles. In his first Davis Cup call-up this year, Paul will hope to better the 0-2 singles record he posted in the Group Stage last year. 

Krajicek and Ram, two of the world's best doubles players, have posted a 6-2 record together in Davis Cup competition, and have not missed a tie since Krajicek's debut in the 2023 qualifying round.