Hewitt explains 'brutal' de Minaur and Popyrin Davis Cup exclusion: 'So many variables'

(Getty/Izhar Khan)

Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin have elected not to take the trip to Ecuador for Davis Cup, with Lleyton Hewitt revealing a line-up of Aleksandar Vukic, Jordan Thompson, Rinky Hijikata, James Duckworth and Thanasi Kokkinakis.

"Over the last month, I've been in constant communication with Lleyton. I have decided that with the issues that my body has given me throughout last year, it was smartest to kind of just sit this one out. I'm definitely going to be available for the next one," said de Minaur in press after Australia's United Cup victory over Czechia.

"It was a brutal decision. Davis Cup has been my priority for basically my whole career. For me, there's no greater goal than to be able to lift the trophy one day with Lleyton, with the team, for Australia again. That's been a priority of mine. We've gotten awfully close for a couple years. My focus is just to keep on improving as a player so I can help out the team when they need me. I've got full faith in all the Aussie players that are going to Ecuador."

Hewitt added: "Considering the time of the year, where it is, the conditions, the surface, so many variables, for me it's really been working with Alex, to be honest, to not put him in a position like he was a year and a half ago and had to play injured for nine months.

"Big picture in mind, we've come up with a plan that we think is the best for him moving forward."

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Hewitt, who is Australia's Davis Cup captain, revealed that Popyrin had not made himself available for the tie, but that he was content with the options at his disposal.

"Alexei didn't make himself available for this tie. I would have loved to have called on Alexei obviously, especially with his game style on clay, the weapons he possesses," he said.

"Obviously, we've gone for guys that give us a lot of depth in singles matches, but also we got a couple of good doubles options amongst the team."

The two-time major winner revealed that the reason for not picking doubles players like John Peers and Matt Ebden, who won Olympic gold on clay less than two years ago, was to give the team the greatest flexibility once they arrived in Quito.

"There's so many unknowns, though. Not many of our guys have played at that high of altitude or anything close to that either. We won't 100 per cent know the conditions until we get over there, but I feel like I have plenty of choices to choose from."

Across the world, a number of top players have skipped the Davis Cup ties in February, with the USA, Canada and Brazil sending second-string teams, as players such as Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev, João Fonseca, Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime all missing from their teams’ line-ups.

After crashing out of the United Cup, Auger-Aliassime revealed that his schedule did not allow him to play this year, but that playing team events was always a priority for him.

"It's [a] decision with schedules. I've played a lot of tennis in the last part of 2025," he confirmed. "Obviously, I have to be here, get ready for the Australian Open. I'm probably going to need a bit of time after the Australian Open to reset. That's just personal schedule decisions.

"Playing a team event has always been great for me. Had success. I've enjoyed it. I'm going to play in the future obviously in my career. Just a matter of time."

Victoria Mboko and Cleeve Harper also revealed that playing for Canada was always a priority for them, with Harper being named in the Davis Cup team.

"It's always nice to have a team behind you. It's always a different format. That's what I like, how you're not really alone in a sense, that you have people that come together to watch all your matches, really cheer and support you," said Harper.

Mboko added: "I really like to have that support sometimes. It's not really often you get that in tournaments. I really like these kinds of tournaments, spending time with all the people on the team. I think that's what I enjoy the most."

One of the few teams to go into the February qualifiers with a full-strength team is Belgium, who have drawn Bulgaria on clay. Despite this, they have named an almost identical line-up to the team that upset Australia in Sydney last year, with prodigy Alexander Blockx the only new inclusion.

"Playing for my country is very important for me. It helped me a lot in the past to become a better tennis player. If you look at this event, it helped me again today playing these mixed doubles, getting experience for doubles, but also taking responsibility whenever it matters to win your matches," said Zizou Bergs.

"It's just a very important event for me in general. If I can play for my country, for some reason it always helps me to be a better tennis player. For me, until now, it's never been any doubt to play or not to play because I still have to give a lot back to my country. If I got a chance, I will for sure take it."

The tie will be held in Quito on February 7-8 on high-altitude clay courts. Should Australia win that tie, they are guaranteed a home tie against either Norway or Great Britain, who have both named full-strength line-ups for their qualifier.

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