Israel faced Slovenia in a Davis Cup tennis tie from September 18-19, 2026, at the Tennis Academy Breskvar in Ljubljana, with high hopes of advancing to World Group I. However, after losing four consecutive matches, Israel will now compete in the World Group II playoffs in February 2027.
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In the opening match, Israel's top player Amit Vales, ranked 589, struggled against Slovenia’s Bor Artnak, ranked 511, losing in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. On the second day, Orel Kimhi, ranked 716, started strong against Slovenia’s Filip Planinšek (491), breaking serve to lead 5-3. However, Planinšek rallied to win the first set in a tiebreaker 7-2 and ultimately won the match 6-1.
In the doubles match, Israel’s Daniel Cukierman (1,374) and Ofek Shimanov (902) battled against Slovenia's Sebastian Dominko (705) and Ziga Sesko (688). Although the Israeli duo managed to secure Israel’s only set in the tournament, they ultimately lost the match 6-3, 6-7, 6-4.
After the doubles, the final singles match featured Dominko defeating Ben Weintraub 6-3, 6-3, played as a formality after Slovenia had already clinched the overall victory. Before the matches, Israel Tennis Association CEO Danny Perkalsky expressed optimism, stating, “We are very excited to play here in Slovenia and represent Israel. The Davis Cup always elicits strong feelings when our national team is playing.”