The countdown has begun! The Billie Jean King Cup is set to resume, with the Qualifiers scheduled for the week of April 6. This event promises to be a tennis spectacle, but not without some surprises and notable absences. While some of the top players on the WTA circuit, such as Elina Svitolina, Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini, and Victoria Mboko, prepare to represent their countries, stars like Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina have chosen not to participate. This decision significantly alters the balance of the competition.
With seven ties to be contested, the fate of the teams heading to the Finals in Shenzhen, scheduled for September, is at stake. So far, only China, as the host country, has secured a spot in the event. A total of 14 teams will compete in seven matchups, and the winners will advance to the Finals. The traditional knockout format will consist of five matches over two days: on the first day, there will be two singles matches, followed by a doubles match on the second day, with the possibility of two additional singles matches if necessary.
In parallel, around 40 nations will compete in regional events, making the Billie Jean King Cup weekend one of the busiest of the season for national team tennis. This is the decisive moment before the Finals, where successful teams will join China in Shenzhen to fight for the title.
The defending champions, Italy, enter the competition with the confidence of having won consecutive titles in 2024 and 2025. After defeating Slovakia in the 2024 final and the United States in 2025, the Italian team will again rely on stars like Jasmine Paolini and Elisabetta Cocciaretto, hoping to maintain their prominent position.
Meanwhile, the absence of several top players cannot go unnoticed. The tennis calendar is in a transitional phase, just after the Indian Wells and Miami tournaments, and on the brink of the start of the European clay season. Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, two of the leading names in the WTA, will not be present, along with the United States, who will also compete without Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, and Amanda Anisimova. This absence represents a significant shift in the competitive landscape, especially considering that the United States reached the final in 2025.
Additionally, other major countries will also face challenges due to the lack of key players. The United Kingdom will be without Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter, while Australia will see the absence of Daria Kasatkina. The Czech Republic, in turn, will miss Grand Slam champions Barbora Krejcikova and Marketa Vondrousova, both crucial in previous Billie Jean King Cup campaigns.
As stars Paula Badosa, Naomi Osaka, and Leylah Fernandez will also not be representing their teams, a significant blow for squads that were counting on their experience and talent. The competition in April will thus take on a different character due to these absences, as the players prepare for the transition from the hard courts of North America to the clay of Europe.
The confirmed lineups for each matchup are as follows, detailing the players who will represent their countries in the upcoming Qualifiers:
**Italy vs Japan**
– Italy: Jasmine Paolini (No. 7), Elisabetta Cocciaretto (No. 42), Lucia Bronzetti (No. 141), Tyra Grant (No. 262), and Sara Errani (No. 4 in doubles).
– Japan: Moyuka Uchijima (No. 77), Himeno Sakatsume (No. 136), Nao Hibino (No. 175), and Eri Hozumi (No. 35 in doubles).
**Belgium vs USA**
– Belgium: Elise Mertens (No. 21), Hanne Vandewinkel (No. 115), Sofia Costoulas (No. 140), and Greet Minnen (No. 153).
– USA: Iva Jovic (No. 18), Hailey Baptiste (No. 43), McCartney Kessler (No. 51), and Nicole Melichar-Martinez (No. 18 in doubles).
**Australia vs United Kingdom**
– Australia: Maya Joint (No. 29), Kimberly Birrell (No. 69), Talia Gibson (No. 112), and Storm Hunter (No. 21 in doubles).
– United Kingdom: Sonay Kartal (No. 54), Harriet Dart (No. 162), and Jodie Burrage (No. 215 in doubles).
**Kazakhstan vs [Canada](https://apitofinal.pt/internacional/fifa-sob-pressao-human-rights-watch-exige-protecao-para-o-mundial2026/)**
– Kazakhstan: Yulia Putintseva (No. 76) and Zhibek Kulambayeva (No. 388).
– Canada: Victoria Mboko (No. 10), Bianca Andreescu (No. 165), and Gabriela Dabrowski (No. 2 in doubles).
**Slovenia vs Spain**
– Slovenia: Kaja Juvan (No. 92) and Veronika Erjavec (No. 102).
– Spain: Cristina Bucsa (No. 31) and Sara Sorribes Tormo (No. 449).
**Switzerland vs Czech Republic**
– Switzerland: Belinda Bencic (No. 12) and Viktorija Golubic (No. 75).
– Czech Republic: Linda Noskova (No. 14) and Marie Bouzkova (No. 33).
Expectations are high for these matchups, where talent and determination will be at play. The Billie Jean King Cup promises once again to be an exciting battleground, even without some of its brightest stars!
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