2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals set — Quotes from Qualifiers
By Joey Dillon
The IX: Tennis Tuesday with Joey Dillon, April 15, 2025
Howdy, y’all and Happy Tennis Tuesday! The 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals qualifiers took place this past week to set the field for Shenzhen. This years’ qualifiers were set up a little different with six hosts hosting three-team playoffs with the top performer booking their ticket to Shenzhen September 16-21. There were only six locales because as hosts, China claims a spot, as does reigning champions Italy. Lets break how each regional went.
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Matchups were out of three points — two singles rubbers, followed by one doubles.
Group A – Tokyo, Japan
Though Japan was missing Naomi Osaka in their lineup, I would have given them the slight advantage over 2023 champions Canada, largely in part because of their doubles prowess. Both Japan and Canada earned 3-0 routs over Romania to set up a final showdown on the final day of play.
Victoria Mboko, who has been one of the junior standout players on the ITF World Tour this year and earned her first WTA main draw win in Miami, kicked things off with a thriller over Ena Shibahara. The 18-year-old needed nearly three hours and match points in both the second and third sets before taking the first rubber on her seventh try. Moyuka Uchijima, the top player of the entire tie, would down Marina Stakusic in straight sets to put the Shenzen berth in the hands of the doubles match. Rebecca Marino and LSU freshman Kayla Cross faced off against Shibahara and Shuko Aoyama, who have won 10 WTA titles as a duo. The experience of the Japanese paid off as they won in a third set to qualify for the Finals for the second consecutive year.
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Group B – Ostrava, Czech Republic
If you were asked to name a country that has all been an assured berth in the BJK Cup Finals, you wouldn’t be wrong to name Czechia. However, that won’t be the case for 2025 as the six-time champions fell at home in a surprising upset to Spain. Things looked fine in the beginning as Czechia dominated singles, but dropped their doubles match Brazil. Spain would then defeat the Brazilians 3-0 to set up a final day showdown to determine their Finals qualifier. First up, Cristina Bucsa knocked out Marie Bouzkova in straight sets in what I would consider an upset, but then Jessica Bouzas Maneiro put the nail in the coffin with her own upset over Linda Noskova. The surprise here was that the matches were on indoor hardcourts in Ostrava, with surface and especially location benefitting the Czechs greatly. As a result, Czechia misses out on the Finals for the first time since the new format went into effect in 2021.
Group C – Bratislava, Slovakia
The United States is the winningest team in BJK Cup history but haven’t lifted the crown since 2017 — which is a little crazy given they have 17 players in the Top 100. Still, the Americans had a couple of problems in Bratislava. First, they were facing a Slovak squad that knocked them out in the first round of the 2024 Finals but they had a mass withdrawal of their proposed squad last minute. Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins and McCartney Kessler all bowed out and captain Lindsay Davenport had to fill in a “C” squad with debutants Hailey Baptiste and Bernarda Pera being added at the eleventh hour. Alycia Parks was named to the team as well, but wasn’t spotted in Slovakia and apparently was posting from Miami over the weekend on her social media. Both USA and Slovakia had little trouble with a Denmark team missing Clara Tauson (and Caroline Wozniacki), so like the other ties, the final day would matter. Baptiste would put the Americans up 1-0 with a straight setter over Renata Jamrichova and Bernarda Pera had to dig deep in both sets to come back and knock out Rebecca Sramkova to get USA the revenge win.
Group D – Brisbane, Australia
Remember when I said how basically every regional came down to the last day? Australia was the lone exception thanks to Kazakhstan routining the hosts to kick off their weekend. If the Kazakh’s can field both Elena Rybakina and Yulia Puntintseva, along with doubles specialist Anna Danilina, they could be a very good dark horse to take it all. Putintseva and Rybakina made light work of Maya Joint and Kimberly Birrell, respectively. Ellen Perez and Storm Sanders were able to get a point on board for the home crowd, but to be honest, this was the matchup that was going to determine the Finals qualifier. Colombia was severely outmatched with both the Kazakhs and Aussies, it just unfortunately came down to the order of play. Australia, perhaps slightly an even more better/consistent team than Czechia since 2021, will now also look to requalify for the qualifiers this upcoming November.
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Group E – Radom, Poland
Of all of the groups this week, this was the one I personally had circled because between the three countries, it could have gone either way. Switzerland is a country that, to be honest, rises to the occasion when it comes to BJK Cup. They were runner-ups in 2021 and captured the title in 2022 but were missing Belinda Bencic, who was a late withdrawal. Poland originally had Iga Swiatek set to play, but the World No. 2 was another player to strike her name from availability after her Sunshine Double. You could argue that Ukraine would be the favorites with both Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk headlining the team, but they hadn’t qualified for a Finals since the restructure. Poland began the weekend with a 3-0 win over Switzerland, while Ukraine did the same over the hosts. As a result, all Ukraine technically needed was one rubber won against the Swiss to qualify. Celine Naef shocked Kostyuk to put Ukraine’s chances in Svitolina’s hands and the World No. 18 was able to handle Jil Teichmann with ease to do so. They are another team that could go ahead and do quite a bit of damage in Shenzhen.
Group F – The Hague, Netherlands
Great Britain is another sneaky, but streaky country since BJK Cup’s restructure. They failed to qualify in 2021 and 2023, but reached the semifinals in 2022 and 2024. Mix their results with two countries in the Netherlands and Germany who can master a clay court, it was truly anyone’s game. The Dutch delighted their fans with a surprising 3-0 win over Germany, largely in part to Suzan Lamens going 2-0 with both matches in straight sets. Great Britain struggled a little against the Germans but racked out singles wins from Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal to put all eyes on the final day. Kartal was able to kick things off with a tough three-set win over Eva Vedder, but Lamens continued her epic weekend at home with a straight-sets upset over Boulter. As a result, who would qualify would come down to the doubles match of Boulter/Jodie Burrage and Lamens/Demi Schuurs. Boulter and Burrage were able to overcome the Dutch crowd and the uncomfortable red clay to put a rout over Lamens and Schuurs to book another place in the BJK Cup Finals.
The draws for the Finals haven’t been unveiled but Italy will be the top seed, followed by Great Britain. The United States and Spain are seeded third and fourth and will be on opposite sides of the draw. From there, it will be randomized and again, keep your eyes peeled for both Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The first of a three-year deal in Shenzhen should be quite exciting with the bracket format coming back to fruition.
Next week, we’ll be back with your normal Tour coverage but until then, on to links!
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I dig Peyton Stearns creating the new tennis classifieds
Five at The IX: BJK Cup Qualifiers
““I’m very proud of all the team to bring us to the Finals. We’ve been waiting so long for this moment, to play there, and try to have a chance to win the World Cup. I knew I had to win to bring us to the Finals, I was trying to focus on one point, one game at a time. I’m very happy with my level and how I hold my nerves…..Special moment for our country….I felt like we were playing in Kyiv. I remember the matches when we were playing back at home. It was really special. So many Ukrainians, a great support. It was incredible.” – Elina Svitolina
“Honestly, I’m so overwhelmed by the emotions, so happy…I just told Lindsay, this has been one of the best weeks ever. I had so much fun with the team; the girls are amazing, I got so much support from all of them and I’m super happy.” – Bernarda Pera
“Despite the lack of matches these two have played together [just one in the Billie Jean King Cup], we knew doubles was going to be important this week. Last week at the National Tennis Centre, I don’t think Katie has done this much doubles practice in her life. We all recognized it was an area we needed solutions to… You’ve got to take your chances, and for me as captain I had confidence in these two. The way they delivered today seals that.” – Anne Keothavong
“It means a lot to get my first singles win, especially here in Brisbane in front of friends and family. It’s a dream come true to represent Australia on my home court and I just tried to love every second.” – Kimberly Birrell
“It’s been a great couple of days. Most importantly, we qualified (for the Finals). I believe we can beat any team with the team that we have” – Yuriy Schukin
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