New Delhi: There are changes to be observed in the prestigious international tennis team events like Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup Finals. On Friday, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced the changes, which was part of a long-term strategy in an attempt to get the events closer.
The Billie Jean King Cup finals, which is women’s team event in tennis, will be reduced to an eight-team event from the current format of 12 teams. This will match the format that exists for the Davis Cup (men’s tennis team event) at present. As a result, there will be seven groups consisting of three teams each for the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers. All the group winners will join the host nation in the Finals of the 2025 edition.
The Davis Cup format will also be tweaked with seven home-or-away series will be played over the course of two days instead of the existing six-day group-stage competition, which is regularly played in September. All the seven winning teams will be paired with the host nation in the Finals in November. From 2026 onwards, the Billie Jean King Cup will also adopt the home-or-away match format for the qualifiers.
“In Billie Jean King Cup, the move to an eight-team Finals aligns with the Davis Cup Final 8 format which has proven to be such a success,” ITF President David Haggerty said.
“Moving the Davis Cup September stage from six-day group stage events to two-day home-or-away ties will ease players’ schedules immediately following the U.S. Open, while maintaining the intensity of the competition that they all love.”
New format to benefit player’s health: Ilana Kloss
Both the Davis Cup and Bille Jean King Cup Finals will be held in Malaga, Spain. The process for the hosts of the next edition’s Finals is currently going on.
“Creating the best competition format is a key part of our long-term strategy for the Billie Jean King Cup and follows consultation with players, fans, partners and broadcasters ,” said Ilana Kloss, chair of Billie Jean King Cup Ltd.
“An eight-team event over six days will be hugely beneficial to player health and the global fan experience. It’s a win-win for everyone,” she added.
There are changes to be observed in the prestigious international tennis team events like Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup Finals. On Friday, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced the changes, which was part of a long-term strategy in an attempt to get the events closer. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
