The reemerged Chung completes a historic debacle for Argentina in the Davis Cup

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 8 Feb 2026 | 11.28

Hyeon Chung defeats Argentina in Davis Cup 2026. Photo: gettyimages

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Monumental dust storm and wave of indignation that will sweep through Argentina from north to south and from east to west in the coming days. One of the teams vying for the Ensaladera has been knocked out in the first round of the 2026 Davis Cup, after their top players refused to participate. South Korea clinched the victory with Hyeon Chung winning the decisive point.

From the moment Javier Frana announced the squad for the Argentine team in the 2026 Davis Cup to travel to South Korea in pursuit of a win to keep the Ensaladera dream alive, controversy and concern arose in Argentina. None of the country's top seven players accepted the call of the albiceleste to represent their country, citing physical issues for some and acknowledging that it did not fit into their schedule at this stage of the season.

Argentina will have to fight in September to avoid relegation from the Davis Cup World Group

There were high expectations for Argentina in this 2026 Davis Cup after their great performance in the last edition, but now, one of the countries with a rich tennis tradition and a passionate following for this age-old competition, will have to battle for remaining in the World Group. Both Thiago Tirante and Marco Trungelliti, along with doubles players Guido Andreozzi and Federico Agustín Gómez, fought hard for their country, but it wasn't enough.

After securing the doubles point to lead 1-2, both singles players succumbed to SoonWoo Kwon and Hyeon Chung. The potential of the South Korean team was underestimated, relying too much on rankings and recent player performances.

However, Kwon had been away from the circuit only due to military service obligations, yet remains a dangerous player in these instances, while Chung struggles to maintain physical demands over several weeks but retains his class, which led him to be a semifinalist in the 2018 Australian Open, showing he still has a lot to offer in the circuit.

Korea's qualifying point! 🇰🇷 ⚡

They won both individual matches of the day and turned around a 1-2 deficit 👏 #CopaDavis pic.twitter.com/VDKg79PFE1
— Davis Cup (@CopaDavis) February 8, 2026

None of the top 7 Argentine players accepted to compete in this 2026 Davis Cup tie

A harsh blow for Argentina, as their top players will face criticism from fans who are unforgiving. Even before the tie, there was a controversy sparked by Fede Coria's comments, openly criticizing those who chose not to compete for the Argentine team. The Cerúndolos, Báez, Carabelli, Etcheverry, Comesaña, and Navone will now face increased scrutiny, with most of them competing this week in Challenger tournaments or preparing for the ATP 250 Buenos Aires.

It is evident that traveling across the world to play an away tie on hard courts is not the ideal scenario for any Argentine player, whose top priority each year is the clay court season. However, this elimination from the 2026 Davis Cup will stir controversy in Argentine tennis. The magic of the 2026 Davis Cup continues, and it is encouraging to see the outstanding level of Hyeon Chung, who is striving to overcome his severe physical issues and regain consistency in his game to compete regularly. He has not lost his talent.