Davis Cup: 5 Nations That Could Emerge as Future Contenders

This weekend, Spain and Argentina will do battle for the most prestigious team title in men's tennis: the Davis Cup.

Both nations have figured prominently in the mix for the trophy, with Spain winning four times in 11 years and Argentina making the finals twice in the 2000s.

However, other countries—some with deep ties to the event, others who haven't had as much success in the past—could be well poised to make their presence felt in the years to come. Here's a look at five who hope to emulate the recent successes of Spain and Argentina.

Australia

Much has been made about the future prospects of Australian teenager Bernard Tomic, as many experts have him pegged to win a Grand Slam singles title or two at some point in his career.

The 2011 Wimbledon quarterfinalist lost a tough four-setter to Roger Federer and beat Stanislas Wawrinka in a recent World Group playoff, and Australia has been relegated further down in the competition.

If he embraces the role of leading the team back to Davis Cup glory—Australia has won the title 28 times—it can have a ripple effect on his overall accomplishments and place in the game.

Switzerland

Switzerland can be playing in the lowest regional zone of the Davis Cup and it will always be a contender. It all depends on how much Roger Federer wants to be involved.

He has a solid teammate in Wawrinka to help shoulder some of the burden, and the two make for a formidable doubles pair—evidenced by the Olympic Gold Medal they won at the 2008 Olympics.

If Federer decides he wants to go all out for a Davis Cup title in the next couple of years, you'd have to peg the nation as a solid favorite—even if the team is just him and Wawrinka.

Two-player Swiss teams have had success in the past, as seen by Jakob Hlasek and Marc Rosset advancing to the finals in 1992.

Germany

Depth alone could return this nation to its Davis Cup-winning past of the late-1980s, early-'90s.

Granted, there's no Boris Becker or Michael Stich on the squad, but the nation does boast eight top-100 players, led by world No. 23 Florian Mayer. Veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber is also in the top 50, and Philipp Petzschner has won two Grand Slam titles in doubles the past two years.

Canada

Milos Raonic, recently named ATP Newcomer of the Year, has the game to be a force for years to come.

But perhaps more important to Canada's hopes of emerging as a national powerhouse is that Raonic is not alone. Vasek Pospisil has also made waves on tour, as seen most recently by his win over American John Isner in the first round of the Valencia, Spain, event.

Provided they continue their rapid maturity, a Davis Cup title could be brought home to Canada within the next five years.

Czech Republic

This team has definitely had some mixed results over the past few years, from making the finals in 2009 to being defeated by the U.S. in 2007 while hosting the tie on clay, not exactly the Americans best surface.

Still, Tomas Berdych appears to have entrenched himself in the top 10, and despite being on the other side of 30, Radek Stepanek is capable of producing on any surface.

The team also has two top-15-caliber doubles players in Frantisek Cermak and Lukas Dlouhy if it wants to preserve the legs of Berdych and Stepanek for singles play.

The next couple of years are crucial for the nation's title hopes.