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The Indian tennis team beat ninth-seeded Switzerland 3-1 in their Davis Cup 2025 World Group I tie at the Swiss Tennis Arena in Biel on Saturday to make the cut for next year’s Qualifiers.

India’s win over Switzerland was the first time since 1993 that they beat a European nation in Europe. Back then, an Indian team comprising Leander Paes and Ramesh Krishnan beat France 3-2 in the quarter-finals.

The result also relegated Switzerland to the Davis Cup 2026 World Group I play-offs.

Taking a 2-0 lead into the tie from the first day after Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal won their respective singles rubbers on Friday, India needed one win to close out the contest.

However, N Sriram Balaji and Rithvik Bollipalli failed to close the deal in the doubles match as they lost 6(3)-7(7), 6-4, 7-5 to Jakub Paul and Dominic Stricker.

The Indian tennis players made a good start and took the opening set after a tie-break.

However, they lost the next set after being broken in the 10th game of the second. The third set saw N Sriram Balaji-Rithvik Bollipalli break the Swiss duo in the third game but lose serve in the sixth and 12th, succumbing to defeat in two hours and 21 minutes.

With momentum on their side, Switzerland chose Henry Bernet to face Sumit Nagal in the first singles rubber of the day.

Sumit Nagal, though, made light work of the 18-year-old Swiss tennis player, breaking him thrice in the opening set and once in the second to win the match 6-1, 6-3 and sealed the tie in India’s favour.

India will now compete in the 2026 Davis Cup qualifiers either in the last week of January or the first week of February.

Since the Davis Cup format was revamped in 2019, India have not won their World Group I ties to enter the Qualifiers. The Indian tennis team has finished runners-up on three occasions – in 1966, 1974 and 1987.

  • Match 1: Dhakshineswar Suresh beat Jerome Kym 7(7)-6(4), 6-3
  • Match 2: Sumit Nagal beat Marc-Andrea Huesler 6-3, 7(7)-6(4)
  • Match 3: N Sriram Balaji-Rithvik Bollipalli lost to Jakub Paul-Dominic Stricker 6(3)-7(7), 6-4, 7-5
  • Match 4: Sumit Nagal beat Henry Bernet 6-1, 6-3