Davis Cup Trophy Fun Facts

Photo: Peter Power

Davis Cup by Rakuten is the premier international team event in men’s tennis. Also known as the World Cup of Tennis, it is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from over 140 competing countries.

The trophy that is awarded each year to the winning nation is just as prestigious as the event itself. Have a closer look at the hardware that Team Canada presented by Sobeys took home from their memorable, history-making week in Malaga, Spain last November when they were crowned World Champions for the first time.

The first trophy was made by a firm of silversmiths called Shreve, Crump and Low of Boston, Massachusetts. Its official name was the “International Lawn Tennis Challenge Trophy” until the event was renamed Davis Cup in honour of founder Dwight D. Davis’ original donation to the trophy, the famous bowl, which he donated in 1900. The bowl, which was designed by William Durgin and crafted by Rowland Rhodes, is engraved with the champions from 1900-1919. It is made of sterling silver and the interior is burnished in gold.

In 1921, a silver tray, known as the “The Salver” was added by Messrs, Black, Starr, and Frost of New York. It is engraved with the champions from 1920-1932.

The plinths of the Davis Cup trophy are mahogany. The champions from 1933 onwards are engraved on them with Australia being the first country put on the third plinth following their triumph in 2003. The names of our Canadian champions are also engraved on this plinth.

The trophy is 110 cm tall, 107 cm in diameter at its widest point and weighs a total of 231.5 pounds. It has toured the globe numerous times, including for the centenary celebration in 2000.

The United States has captured the most trophies in Davis Cup history with 32 followed by Australia with 28, and then France and Great Britain each with 10. In 2022, Canada joined Argentina, Italy, Serbia, South Africa, and Switzerland as first-time winners of the world’s largest annual international team competition in sport.

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Tennis Canada