BRASILIA/STARNBERG, March 7, 2026
Former world No. 35 and Brazil’s Davis Cup captain Jaime Oncins arrived in the nation’s capital on Friday and is using the Brasilia Tennis Open, an ATP Challenger 75 event, to observe Brazilian players ahead of the team’s September tie against Switzerland. The matchup, to be played in Brazil, will determine a spot in the Qualifiers for February 2027.
Oncins has a long history with Brasília, having competed there seven times as a professional and facing notable Brazilian players such as Luiz Mattar and Gustavo Kuerten during his career.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing not only in Brasília but in Brazil in general,” Oncins said. “Brasilia has something special — a little bit of altitude, the ball flies a bit more, which makes the game faster. I’ve liked it since my junior days and also during my professional career when I had the opportunity to play several matches here.”
He also highlighted the importance of hosting tournaments in Brazil. This week, 11 Brazilian players entered the main draw, eight advanced to the round of 16, and two — Thiago Monteiro and Eduardo Ribeiro — reached the semifinals.
“That shows the importance of having tournaments in Brazil,” Oncins explained. “Our players can take advantage of these opportunities. We now have two in the semifinals. It’s especially important for players ranked around 200 or 250 to get closer to the Top 100 or 150. Playing at home helps a lot.”
Another objective of his visit is to watch Brazilian players compete on home soil while keeping the upcoming Davis Cup tie in mind.
“That’s the goal — to stay a bit closer and follow the players, even though there is still plenty of time until September,” he said. “It’s important to maintain contact and exchange ideas with their coaches as well.”
Brazil will host a Davis Cup tie for the first time in more than three years, since facing China in February 2023. The venue and surface have yet to be determined, though Oncins is certain about one thing.
“The only thing I can rule out is playing on grass,” he said with a smile.
According to Oncins, playing at home provides a significant advantage. “It makes a huge difference to know you have the crowd on your side,” he noted. “I’ve been following the Swiss team closely since the draw came out, watching their players on both clay and hard courts to determine the best surface for us. Even with time ahead, we feel confident.”
He also praised the performance of several Brazilian players in recent Davis Cup ties. “Against Canada, Matheus Pucinelli played very well, Gustavo Heide also did a great job, and the doubles team performed strongly. That gives us more options for future ties.”
While Brazil traditionally preferred clay courts at sea level, Oncins believes the current generation has shown strong adaptability.
“We even joked after some recent Davis Cup ties that we might play on hard courts this time,” he said. “Historically we always played on clay, but today’s players have shown they can adapt to different surfaces. In Bologna at the Davis Cup Finals we played indoor ties against Sweden and Denmark, and then against France and Canada on fast courts. In Canada the adaptation was very good. It opens more possibilities — and gives me a bigger headache when choosing the ideal surface.”
Oncins also said he understood the decision of rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca to skip last month’s tie against Canada in Vancouver, where Brazil narrowly lost on indoor hard courts.
“I understood the decision,” he said. “It’s never an easy choice. He and his team had to think about it carefully. From my side, I just focus on doing my job. Having more options as captain is a good thing.”
Still, Oncins made it clear he hopes to have Fonseca back for the upcoming tie.
“It would be crazy for me to say I don’t want Joao back,” he said. “He makes a difference on any team in the world. Having him available for the next tie would be very important, and the same goes for the other players. Bringing our best players together shows the commitment to the Davis Cup.”
