The draw has been made for the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, scheduled for September 22-27 on the hard indoor court of the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre Arena in China, which previously hosted the 2019 WTA Finals and other major sporting events. Eight teams will compete for the trophy in a single-elimination draw. Italy, which won the 2025 event in Shenzhen for the sixth time (the second consecutive time), will open its tournament against China. The winner will face the winner of Ukraine vs. Belgium in the semifinals. The top seed, captained by Tatiana Garbin, has won the last two editions of the women's national team tournament. Last April, in the qualifying match played in Velletri, in which Italy defeated Japan 3-1, the Italian team consisted of Olympic doubles champions Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani, Lucia Bronzetti, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, and Tyra Caterina. Grant, Lucrezia Stefanini.
The United States, with 18 total victories, is the most successful nation in the competition, which began in 1963 as the Federation Cup (and later the Fed Cup), and became the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020, the premier national event in women's tennis. Here is the list of nations that have triumphed at least once: USA 18; Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic 11; Australia 7; Italy 6; Russia and Spain 5; France 3; Germany 2; Belgium, Canada, Slovakia, South Africa, Switzerland 1.
Photo credits: FITP
