France was eliminated right at the start of the Davis Cup Final 8 by Belgium, marking a fiasco in their first return since 2019. The team led by Paul-Henri Mathieu suffered two defeats in Bologna, Italy. This disillusionment contrasts with the Blues' initial ambitions.
France experienced an early exit in the final phase of the Davis Cup, the centenary event it has won ten times. In their first appearance in the Final 8 since 2019, the Blues, coached by Paul-Henri Mathieu, faced Belgium in the quarterfinals in Bologna on neutral ground in Italy. Despite a theoretically superior team – the Belgians had not beaten the French since 1997 – and Italian forfeits like Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti opening the draw, France was soundly defeated after two losses, sealing their elimination at the start of the eight-team competition.
This setback represents a stinging failure for a selection that arrived with ambitions of reaching at least the semifinals against the double defending champion Italians. Recent reforms to the Davis Cup, tarnishing its prestige, did not help this new blue wave to rebound. A section of the account notes that Arthur Rinderknech woke up too late after the opening defeat, highlighting the difficulties from the outset.
This disillusionment leaves a bitter taste, as the prospect of a final on Sunday was not entirely fanciful on paper. Belgium, led by figures like Zizou Bergs under Steve Darcis, seized their chance to avenge a final defeat nearly ten years ago.