By KPC Sports Reporter
The 2026 Davis Cup Africa Group IV was officially launched on Friday at the Nairobi Club, marking the prestigious tournament’s return to Kenya after six years.
The event, which runs from June 17 to 20, will see eight nations battle for promotion to Africa Group III.
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“This marks a major return of continental Davis Cup tennis to Nairobi after a six-year hiatus, representing a significant boost to local tennis development and showcases Kenya’s commitment to African sports excellence,” said Tennis Kenya Deputy President Martha Tirop during the launch.
Kenya will host Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Congo DRC, Ghana, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe in the competition.
Tournament Director Francis Mutuku emphasized the home advantage.
“Our team getting an opportunity to be able to play off-ground is a big advantage because they understand the surface, they understand the club area, but most importantly we always get the extra players who are the fans who can be able to come and push them,” he said.
The format will feature two pools of four teams playing round-robin matches from Wednesday to Friday.
The top two teams in each pool will face off on Saturday, with winners earning promotion to Group III. Teams finishing third and fourth will contest relegation play-offs to avoid dropping to Group V.
Entry fees have been set at Kshs. 1000 for a season ticket and Kshs. 300 daily, with proceeds supporting Tennis Kenya’s player development programs.
Mutuku highlighted the broader impact: “The benefits of hosting is on the micro level — job opportunities, growing capacity across all levels and ecosystem including line judges’ programme.
On a macro level, Sport is one of the key drivers of tourism, through sports tourism.”
Tirop added that the Davis Cup is part of a wider vision: “Davis Cup is not just about one week of matches. It is part of a broader plan to position Kenya as a hub for tennis in Africa, a place where talent is nurtured, where officials gain expertise, and where international events are run professionally and warmly.”
