Five Cities, One Mission: “Davis Cup Fan World Cup Presented by Rakuten” Turns the Spotlight on Resilience and Optimism

- The Global Presenting Partner and Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner of the Davis Cup by Rakuten connects tennis fans around the globe with their favorite team.
- Fans can submit their message of support now: https://rakutenfans.com/

Tokyo and Barcelona, September 7, 2022 – Rakuten Group, Inc. and Kosmos Tennis announced today that they will bring back the Davis Cup Fan World Cup Presented by Rakuten. Launched for the first time in 2021, the campaign gives tennis fans across the globe the opportunity to connect with their favorite team at the Davis Cup Finals through unique art installations featuring more than 10,000 messages of support from fans. Submitted messages will be displayed from September 13 to 18, 2022 at the Group Stage venues in Bologna, Valencia, Hamburg and Glasgow, and from November 22 to 27, 2022 at the Knockout Stage in Malaga.

Like last year, fans can unite around their teams by sending in messages of support on https://rakutenfans.com from September 7 to November 27, or at the Rakuten fan zones in the arenas during the tournament weeks. The submitted messages will be printed on tennis balls to create four unique art installations that symbolize respect, friendship, solidarity, resilience and optimism – values that are more relevant than ever in these challenging times. One installation will be placed at each of the four Group Stage host venues and combined as one giant installation in Malaga for the Knockout Stage.

For the first time, fans will also, in turn, receive personalized “Thank you” video messages featuring the teams they support. 

Rahul Kadavakolu, Vice President of Rakuten’s Global Sports Business and Director of Global Marketing and Sports Partnerships at Rakuten Group, Inc., commented: “The Davis Cup Fan World Cup initiative this year focuses very much on the spirit of resilience and the ability of sports to triumph over adversity. We have seen some of sport’s most dramatic demonstrations of resilience at the Davis Cup and the critical role that fan support plays in propelling teams, from facing seemingly impending defeat to securing astounding victories. With this year’s Davis Cup Fan World Cup initiative, we hope to serve as the bridge that connects fans, who may be supporting from the arena or from afar, and players together as one united team.”

Enric Rojas, CEO of Kosmos Tennis, commented: "The fans are important in any competition, but they have a unique role in the Davis Cup. Teams need to feel the support of their fans in the stands. We know that many would like to experience the competition live and cannot be there. Rakuten gives them the opportunity to be close to their teams through this initiative. It shortens the distance between the fans and the players who are a real role model for society.”

It’s All About the Fans
Rakuten is proud to be the Global Innovation and Entertainment Partner and Global Presenting Partner of the Davis Cup, an event that is ever evolving. Dating back to 1900 and now featuring over 140 teams, it truly has become the “World Cup of Tennis.” To mark the third year of Rakuten’s partnership with the Davis Cup, Rakuten continues on its journey to connect fans and players around the world by leveraging its technological expertise and diverse portfolio of services.

In addition to the Davis Cup Fan World Cup initiative, the free, secure messaging and communications app Rakuten Viber has started a dedicated community channel to keep fans updated with the latest news about the tournament while Rakuten TV’s 2020 documentary BreakPoint: A Davis Cup Story is available free of charge. Rakuten’s open e-commerce business has also created a special landing page for fans of the Davis Cup, gathering many of the best promotions across the Rakuten Group and providing cashback and Rakuten Points on purchases, as well as contests offering VIP tickets or signed merchandise for users.

Tickets on sale now
The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals will take place across four cities – Bologna, Valencia, Hamburg and Glasgow – from September 13 to 18. The knock-out stage of the 2022 Davis Cup Finals will take place in Malaga on November 22 to 27. Tickets for the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals are now on sale at www.daviscupfinals.com. 

About the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals 2022
Founded in 1900, Davis Cup by Rakuten is the men’s world cup of tennis and the largest annual team competition in sport. 143 nations entered in 2022 and will compete across multiple levels of the competition from regional events to the pinnacle of the Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals. In 2022, the Finals will see 16 nations compete for a chance to be crowned world champions. The Group Stage will be played in 4 different cities from 13-18 September: Bologna, Valencia, Hamburg and Glasgow. The best 8 teams will travel to Malaga in November to play the Finals.