MADRID: Serbia and Spain will square off in the group stage of the Davis Cup Finals, organizers said after holding a draw.
That could mean a matchup of Novak Djokovic against Rafael Nadal when their nations play as part of Group B along with Canada and South Korea in Valencia from Sept 14-18.
Nadal did not play for Spain last year; Djokovic helped Serbia reach the semifinals.
Group A, hosted by Bologna, will include Croatia "last year's runner-up" along with Italy, Argentina, and Sweden. Group C, in Hamburg, will pit Germany against France, Belgium, and Australia. Britain, the United States, Kazakhstan, and the Netherlands will play in Group D in Glasgow.
Serbia was in the draw to replace Russia, last year's champion after it was expelled by the International Tennis Federation for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The top two teams of each group will advance to the knockout rounds, including quarterfinals, semifinals, and final to be played in Spain's southern city of Málaga from Nov 21-27. Also on Tuesday, the ITF and organizing group Kosmos Tennis announced that Valencia would host group games.
Bologna, Glasgow, and Hamburg had already been named as host cities. The entire competition between men's national teams will be played on indoor hard courts.