Billie Jean King Cup rescheduled  for later in 2021

The 2021 Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Finals have been postponed due to health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The event, initially scheduled to be held from April 13-18 in Budapest, Hungary, will be rescheduled to a date later in 2021.

The decision to reschedule is to protect the health and safety of all participants, which includes 12 teams, over 60 athletes, officials, support staff and fans, with the hope of staging a successful and safe event later this year. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the Hungarian National Sports Agency (NSA) had been modeling several scenarios to hold the event as planned in April, including playing behind closed doors. 

However, continued uncertainty and restrictions brought on by the pandemic, both local and international, have made hosting a global team competition in Budapest unfeasible at this time.

“Everyone involved in this competition hoped that we would not be in this position, but unfortunately, the COVID-19 situation remains serious and restricting. Health and safety come first," said ITF president David Haggerty. 

"Together with the NSA, and in consultation with the WTA, we are in the process of finalizing new dates. We continue to work our hardest to deliver a spectacular Finals event in 2021 and, like the players and the fans, as well as Billie Jean herself, we are all looking forward to a memorable Billie Jean King Cup Finals later this year.”

Team USA, represented by Serena Williams, Sofia Kenin, Alison Riske, Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Coco Gauff, qualified for the finals by virtue of a 3-2 win over Latvia in the qualifying round last February, in a tie held in Everett, Wash. 

The Billie Jean King Cup, previously named the Fed Cup, was rebranded in honor of the trailblazing tennis legend in September.