Italy Defends its Title at the Billie Jean King Cup
The Italian selection, led by the outstanding Jasmine Paolini, number 8 in the world and Olympic medalist, is preparing to defend their title in the 62nd edition of the Billie Jean King Cup. The tournament will take place in Shenzhen, China, from September 16 to 21, bringing together eight powerhouses of women’s tennis.
The Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre Arena, known for hosting the WTA Finals in 2019 and with a covered hard court surface, will be the stage for exciting matches between Japan, Spain, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, United States, China (host) and Italy (defending champion).
The Italian team, captained by Tathiana Garbin and composed of Lucia Bronzetti, Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Sara Errani, will begin their participation against China on Tuesday at 17:00 local time.
Italy arrives as the top seed after their victory in the 2024 edition, held in Malaga. On that occasion, they defeated Japan in the quarterfinals, Poland in the semifinals, and Slovakia in the final. Paolini shone in the decisive match, defeating Rebecca Sramkova.
The second day of the tournament will feature the match between Spain and Ukraine on Wednesday 17th at 17:00 local time. The winner of this match will advance to the semi-finals to face the winner of the match between Italy and China, scheduled for Friday, September 19th at 17:00.
On Thursday 18th, two key qualifiers will be played: Kazakhstan against the United States (10:00 local time) and Japan against the United Kingdom. The winners of these matches will face each other in the other semi-final on Saturday 20th.
Each tie will consist of three matches: two singles and one doubles, all played to the best of three sets with a tiebreak.
A Tournament with History
The Billie Jean King Cup, named after the American tennis legend, Billie Jean King, winner of 12 Grand Slam titles, is a tournament that celebrates the history and legacy of a key figure in the fight for women’s rights in sport and society.
Since the end of 2020, the tournament adopted the name of King, who has been a tireless advocate for social change. Previously, it was held in November, but now it is played in September, coinciding with the start of the Asian tour, which reduces travel and fatigue for the tennis players.
The United States leads the standings with 18 titles, with their last victory in 2017 and the first in 1963. The Czech Republic follows with 11 titles (last in 2018) and Australia with 7 (1974).
Spain, Russia, and Italy share five titles each, while France has three and Germany two.
In this edition, Kazakhstan, United Kingdom, China, Japan and Ukraine will seek their first title in the Billie Jean King Cup.
Match Schedule
- Tuesday, September 16, 5:00 PM (09:00 GMT): Italy vs. China
- Wednesday, September 17, 5:00 PM (09:00 GMT): Spain vs. Ukraine
- Thursday, September 18, 10:00 AM (02:00 GMT): Kazakhstan vs. United States
- Thursday, September 18, 5:00 PM (09:00 GMT): Japan vs. United Kingdom
- Friday, September 19, 5:00 PM (09:00 GMT): Quarterfinal 1 Winner vs. Quarterfinal 2 Winner
- Saturday, September 20, 5:00 PM (09:00 GMT): Quarterfinal 3 Winner vs. Quarterfinal 4 Winner
- Sunday, September 21, 5:00 PM (09:00 GMT): Final
Participating Teams
China: Xinyu Wang, Yue Yuan, Shuai Zhang, Xiyu Wang, Xinyu Jiang, Feng Liu (Captain).
Great Britain: Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Francesca Jones, Jodie Anna Burrage, Anne Keothavong (C).
Italy: Jasmine Paolini, Lucia Bronzetti, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Sara Errani, Tathiana Garbin (C).
Japan: Moyuka Uchijima, Ena Shibahara, Nao Hibino, Eri Hozumi, Shuko Aoyama, Ai Sugiyama (C).
Kazakhstan: Elena Rybakina, Yulia Putintseva, Zarina Diyas, Zhibek Kulambayeva, Anna Danilina, Yuriy Schukin (C).
Spain: Paula Badosa, Jessica Bouzas, Cristina Bucsa, Leyre Romero, Aliona Bolsova, Carla Suarez (C)
Ukraine: Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Yuliia Starodubtseva, Lyudmyla Kichenok, Nadiia Kichenok, Illya Marchenko (C).
United States: Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, Mccartney Kessler, Hailey Baptiste, Taylor Townsend, Lindsay Davenport (C).
