The Philippine Davis Cup team, led by veterans Joseph Lizardo and Ruben Gonzales, is set for a determined campaign in the 2025 Asia/Oceania Group IV with all eyes on promotion.
Team Philippines is entering the 2025 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group IV with high expectations and full of confidence in their climb back up the regional ladder.
Team captain and coach Joseph Lizardo expressed full confidence in his squad, which will once again be led by longtime national standouts Ruben Gonzales and Francis Alcantara.
“Last year, when they asked me to captain and I found out who was on the team, I said, ‘Oh, good. I don’t have to do much—they just have to show up,’” Lizardo told One News’ Play by Play. “We also have the same exact team, but this time around um they're all fitter because they have one more year to prepare."
"In my opinion, we have a great chance [to move up] and like what I said, they prepared from the time that we saw each other last year all the way up to now."
The Philippine Davis Cup team will compete alongside Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Pacific Oceania, Qatar, Iraq, and Nepal.
The format features two groups of four, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to a promotion playoff. Two teams will earn promotion to Group III, while the bottom two will be relegated.
Gonzales admitted that the challenge is much tougher as compared to their run in Group V last year. Nonetheless, with plenty of veterans in the squad, the goal is still the same for the Philippines.
Gonzales will be paired up with his teammate Niño Alcantara once more, having won gold together in the last Southeast Asian Games and built a successful doubles partnership over the years.
"I think the highest-ranked player we might face is Malaysia’s top guy, so that will be tough,” he admitted. “But in Davis Cup, anything can happen. We’re not playing everyone, so it really depends on the draw. I’m just excited."
"You know, me and Francis [Alcantara], we won the last SEA games, we've had a lot of success together in Davis Cup as well. So I think we're going to be tough to beat."
Looking beyond 2025, Lizardo believes the team has what it takes to climb even further, potentially reaching the World Group II, where they will face some of the best in Tennis.
“We had this discussion and I said, 'We're good up to Group III for sure.' And then group two, we're going to have to work a lot harder because then, you know, that was the group where we played Greece and [Stefano] Tsitsipas,” said Lizardo.
“That's kind of [Tennis] what's waiting for us, but we have now until then. So, I believe that if we do everything properly, it is possible. I would like to be ready. I would like to be ready. And I think three years is a lot of time to get ready.”
The Philippine campaign in Group IV is set to begin on July 14, with the full draw and schedule to be announced by the International Tennis Federation.