The Swiss Davis Cup team has a difficult draw for the first of two qualifying rounds for the final tournament of the top eight teams in Bologna.
Their opponents will be Spain at home from January 31 to February 2. It remains to be seen where the match will be played.
The last time the two countries met was in March 2010. Back then, the Spaniards won 4:1 in front of their home crowd. Even after the retirement of Rafael Nadal, the Iberians currently have numerous top players at their disposal - above all Carlos Alcaraz (ATP 3), the four-time winner of Grand Slam tournaments.
The question will be whether he will play shortly after the Australian Open. This will determine how good the Swiss' chances are. If they beat Spain, they will face the winner of the duel between Serbia and Denmark in September.