The Philippine Davis Cup team.
MANILA -- The Philippine Davis Cup team is back home after a triumphant campaign in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that saw them earn a hard-fought promotion from Group IV to Group III of the Asia/Oceania zone.
The national team was flawless throughout the week at the National Tennis Centre in Malaysia, going undefeated in the group stage before sealing their spot in Group III with a commanding victory over Kyrgyzstan in the promotional playoffs.
Jed Olivarez clinched the opening singles match in the final with a dominant 6-1, 6-3 win, while AJ Lim followed through with a confident 6-3, 6-3 performance—giving the Philippines an unassailable 2-0 lead and eliminating the need for a deciding doubles.
READ: Team PH advances to Davis Cup Group 3 after sweep of Kyrgyzstan
"I'd like to congratulate the Philippine tennis team for moving to Group III in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania," said PHILTA President Eric Olivarez. "I'd like to congratulate our coaches Popet and Johnny for a job well-done."
"Laban Pilipinas, onwards to Group III!" he added.
Team captain Johnny Arcilla praised the camaraderie and professionalism within the squad, even joking about his key role in team preparation.
"Actually ako pinakamaraming laro sa kanila," Arcilla quipped, referring to his pre-match warmups with the players, which the team described as "great warmups."
He continued: "Siyempre kay Coach Popet din, marami akong natutunan sa kaniya. Kaya ayun, vibes kaming dalawa eh. Hindi kami nag-away nito. Davis Cup kasi, 'yung mindset namin, pareho."
Arcilla was especially proud of the team's growth over the past year.
"Talagang magaling sila. Since last year I think, as I told everybody, that we're going to be okay and they delivered," he said. "[They are] so easy to work with. I'm very lucky as a captain because I don't have to do as much. Magaling na sila."
Arcilla also highlighted the importance of off-court preparation.
"Having a PT was very crucial. It was huge because we were managing the offcourt very well, making sure that everyone stays in routine and that the hydration was there," he explained. "My goal as the captain is to make sure that everything is smooth-sailing. I don't want them to focus on anything but playing. That was my ultimate goal."
Filipino doubles ace Ruben Gonzales commended their teammates for stepping up.
"First of all, I want to thank PHILTA for choosing me. It's always an honor to represent our country. I felt these guys did a great job carrying our team.," he said.
"It was a great team effort, great team chemistry," Gonzales added. "Thanks also to Coach Popet and Coach Johnny. They did an awesome job getting us ready. Our goal was to get into Group 3 and now we're in Group 3 so we'll deal with it in the next parts."
Singles standouts Olivarez and Lim echoed the team-first mentality.
"I'm just really happy that we were able to go through it despite the tough conditions," said Jed Olivarez. "It was really hot and humid. I'm just thankful for PHILTA for supporting us and our teammates for pushing us."
AJ Lim added: "Just happy to contribute to the team. We're thinking about it long-term and we wanted to get promoted to Group 3. It was the goal for the year and now we're hoping to get into Group 2."
For Iggy Pantino, the victory was a reflection of the team’s unity and shared ambition.
"It was really fun. Happy for the team. We're now into Group 3 and hopefully we'll do better next year."