The Davis Cup is one of the most illustrious tennis tournaments in the sport and the United States have been at the forefront of the event for much of its history.

The US have claimed the Davis Cup title more than any other nation, winning the tournament 32 times since its inception in 1900.

The United States have not won the tournament since 2007, but they remain one of the most dangerous teams, having produced some of the best players in the last 50 years.

They enjoyed a very successful spell in the 1980s and 1990s when the likes of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were at the peak of their powers.

But they were forced to play without their talisman Agassi in 1993 when he refused to play a Davis Cup tie against relative minnows, Bahamas.

The United States played a Davis Cup tie against the Bahamas in 1993, which they won in straighforward fashion.

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The tie had already been wrapped up before the third day of action, when Andre Agassi was slated to play ‘local teaching pro’ John Farrington after Mark Knowles had pulled out for the Bahamas.

Agassi decided not to play the tie because he did not feel the player was at the level required for a Davis Cup tie, and he was duly reprimanded for his snub of Farrington.

As a result, the Davis Cup Committee fined the US Tennis Association (USTA) $1500, which was paid to the Bahamas Davis Cup team.

The USTA happily paid the fee, but they still appealed the decision.

In a statement, then-USTA president J Howard Frazer said: ‘The USTA always insists American players compete on the third day of the Davis Cup tie, even when the tie has already been won.

“However, in this particular situation, when the Bahamas failed to field a competitor of professional tour level, the USTA could not object to Agassi’s refusal to play.’

Agassi was subsequently banned for the first round of the 1994 Davis Cup, which was eventually won by Sweden.

The United States, and Agassi, dominated much of the Davis Cup landscape for much of the 1990s. Agassi won the title three times in 1990, 1992, and 1995.

Agassi ended his career playing 22 Davis Cup ties, in which he managed an impressive 30-6 winning record in singles action. His last appearance came in 2005, when he was beaten in the last 16 by Ivan Ljubicic.

That brought an end to an incredibly successful 17-year tenure for Agassi on international duty for the United States at the Davis Cup.