If the U.S. Billie Jean King Cup team wants the opportunity to play for a record-extending 19th title in the team competition in November, it'll have to earn it. The American women were drawn Friday into what will likely the toughest group of the four round-robin pools at November's Billie Jean King Cup presented by BNP Paribas Finals in Glasgow. The U.S. joins the Czech Republic and Poland in Group D.
The Czechs are second to the U.S. in all-time Billie Jean King Cup titles with 11; while five were won as Czechoslovakia, the other six have come in the last 10 years. They also currently boast four players in the WTA's Top 50, second to nine Americans. Poland has the WTA's consensus world No. 1 in its ranks in Iga Swiatek, but also counts Magda Linette and Magdalena Frech in the Top 100. In April's qualifying round, Swiatek led her country to its first-ever berth in the Finals by winning her two singles matches against Romania with the combined loss of just one game.
The team that wins each group will advance to the knockout semifinals. Group A will see 2021 finalists Switzerland face Canada and Italy; Group B is comprised of Australia, Belgium and Slovakia; and host Great Britain, the wild card team, joins Spain and Kazakhstan in Group C. The winner of Group D will face the winner of Group A in the semifinals, while Group B and Group C's top teams will clash for the right to play for the Billie Jean King Cup.
Photo by Mike Lawrence/USTA.
The 2022 Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Finals will be played from Nov. 8-13 at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.
The U.S. booked its spot in the Finals with a 3-2 victory over Ukraine in Asheville, N.C. in April's qualifying round. Jessica Pegula and Asia Muhammad clinched the tie for the U.S. by beating Dayana Yastremska and Lyudmyla Kichenok in the fifth and final match. More than $225,000 was generated for the Tennis Plays for Peace initiative, supporting humanitarian relief efforts for the war in Ukraine, in conjunction with the tie.
Further news on tickets and the Finals draw will follow in the coming months. For more information, including access to player and historical records, visit the USTA's Billie Jean King Cup homepage of the official Billie Jean King Cup site.
Sign up for our Newsletter
Sign up for our Newsletter