Netherlands Defeat Germany to Reach Historic Davis Cup Final

The Netherlands secured a place in the Davis Cup final for the first time after Tallon Griekspoor fought back to clinch a 2-0 win over Germany.

Botic van de Zandschulp put the Dutch team ahead on Friday, defeating Germany's Daniel Altmaier in the opening singles match. Van de Zandschulp, ranked 80th in the world, needed 10 match points to secure a tense 6-4, 6-7 (12-14), 6-3 victory.

Griekspoor then sealed the win in the second singles match, overcoming Jan-Lennard Struff in a thrilling three-set encounter. After dropping the first set 6-7 (4-7), Griekspoor battled back to take the next two sets 7-5, 6-4, ensuring that the tie did not go to a deciding doubles match.

“We believed in ourselves so much, we always felt this was possible so to do it now feels unbelievable,” Griekspoor said after his victory.

The Netherlands will face either defending champions Italy, led by world number one Jannik Sinner, or Australia in Sunday's final.

“We don't have a top-five player, we don't have a top-10 player, we don't have a top-15 player - but it's a team effort,” said Netherlands captain Paul Haarhuis. “We have to believe in ourselves, whoever is against us, that we can do it. It's our time this year. We're here and we're going to make it count.”

Germany, who have won the Davis Cup three times, were aiming to reach the final for the first time since their last title win in 1993. The team was missing world number two Alexander Zverev, who opted to skip the tournament for recovery ahead of the 2025 season.

Van de Zandschulp, who had previously defeated Rafael Nadal in the Spaniard's final match on Tuesday, faced a tense atmosphere as he took on Altmaier. Despite some early struggles with first serves and a determined fightback from Altmaier, Van de Zandschulp sealed the win in the third set.

"I had the toughest match of my life on Tuesday so everything that comes next maybe is a little bit easier," Van de Zandschulp reflected.

In the second singles match, neither player faced a break point in the first set, which Struff won in a tie-break. However, Griekspoor regained control, and his powerful serving, including 25 aces, ultimately secured him the win.

The Dutch victory meant that Van de Zandschulp and Wesley Koolhof, who is retiring after the Davis Cup, were not required for the deciding doubles match. Following the win, Koolhof's long tennis career was celebrated with a retirement ceremony.

“It has been an incredible journey over the last 15 or 20 years of playing tennis. I did it with a lot of passion,” said Koolhof. “We're not done, I'm not done. We still have a few days to go and hopefully we can make something special happen here.”