The 2024 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals are set to take place at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, Spain, from Tuesday 12 to Wednesday 20 November, the ITF announced this week, and it will feature a new knock-out format to be introduced this year.
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals are going bigger and better this year. Every season we see how much this unique and historic competition means to players and fans alike. There is nothing in women’s tennis that comes close to the excitement, energy and passion that Billie Jean King Cup creates, and we are set for another blockbuster week of action this November. Conchita Martinez, BJK Cup Finals Tournament Director
Based on feedback from players, captains, fans and broadcasters, the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals will see the introduction of a revised format, replacing the round robin group stage with a knockout competition, similar to the Davis Cup Final 8.
Plus, for the first time, tennis fans will be able to enjoy a fortnight of World Cup Tennis with the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup Finals events running consecutively, with a minimal overlap.
An extended 9-day event will overlap briefly with the men’s Davis Cup Final 8, which begins in Malaga on the eve of the Billie Jean King Cup final.
The new knockout format replaces the group stage round robin competition, which the ITF says aims to revamp the women’s team competition and maximise its visibility, while creating a fortnight of World Cup tennis in Andalucia.
Team GB qualified for the BJK Cup Finals by defeating France in early April
lta.org.uk
Great Britain qualified for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals by beating France in Le Portel in April.
Canada are the defending champions, and Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka have indicated they will compete for Poland, the USA and Japan respectively.
The 8-team line-up for the Davis Cup Finals will not be confirmed until September, and Great Britain faces opposition from Canada, Argentina and Finland when they try to qualify in Manchester.
The BJK Cup Finals were previously played over 6 days, with the 12 teams split into 4 groups and the winners contesting the semi-finals.
Now, with this year’s changes, 4 teams will receive a bye to the Last 8, while the other 8 nations compete for a place in the quarter-finals.
The Seville event will begin on Tuesday 12 November, 3 days after the conclusion of the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which will give players time to travel and acclimatise to the conditions in southern Spain.
World No 1 Swiatek opted out of the 2022 and 2023 Finals because the schedule allowed her no time to prepare following the WTA’s season-ending Finals staged in Texas and Mexico.
The first 6 days of the women’s team event, though, will clash with the men’s ATP Finals in Turin, but the ITF hopes its midweek semi-finals and final will be watched by a large audience.
The ITF Board and Billie Jean King Cup Committee, in consultation with key stakeholders, approved the 2024 dates, which have been revised to maximise visibility for the event, in light of an extended WTA calendar, which places the Billie Jean King Cup Finals one week later in the season compared with previous years.
The draws for the Finals and Play-offs will take place on Tuesday 30 April at 12:00 BST (11:00 GMT) at the ITF offices in London.
The Play-offs, which feature the 8 losing teams from the 2024 Qualifiers and the 8 best-performing teams from the 2024 regional Group I events, will take place on either 15-16 or 16-17 November.
Both draws will be live streamed at billiejeankingcup.com .
Billie Jean King (C) watches from the stand alongside Dan Trowiss (L), CEO of Gainbridge and David Haggerty (R), President of ITF during the Billie Jean King Cup Final match between Canada and Italy at Estadio de La Cartuja last November
© Matt McNulty/Getty Images for ITF
“We are offering a November to remember in 2024,” David Haggerty, ITF President, said. “The first ball of the World Cup of Tennis will be at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on 12 November, and the last ball will be at the Davis Cup Final 8 on 24 November.
“This provides us with a great opportunity to maximise viewing and fan engagement across both World Cup of Tennis competitions.
“This is also an exciting way for fans to enjoy both the men’s and women’s events and, by travelling between two cities, take full advantage of the Andalusian region
“The schedule and format for the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals was agreed following consultation with players, captains and the WTA Player Council.”
Conchita Martinez returns as Finals Tournament Director following a successful first year in 2023.
Martinez played 53 ties for Spain in the Billie Jean King Cup (then known as the Fed Cup) from 1988 to 2004 and helped her country to win the competition in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 1998.
“The Billie Jean King Cup Finals are going bigger and better this year,” Martinez said. “Every season we see how much this unique and historic competition means to players and fans alike.
“There is nothing in women’s tennis that comes close to the excitement, energy and passion that Billie Jean King Cup creates, and we are set for another blockbuster week of action this November.
“I can’t wait to welcome the world’s best players to Seville later this year and watch the battle to be crowned 2024 World Champions play out.”
The 2024 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals and Davis Cup Final 8 are being hosted in Seville and Malaga as part of a wider partnership between the ITF and the Region of Andalucia, which also will host the junior editions of both competitions.
For more information and exciting new content including match action, archive footage and player features visit Billie Jean King Cup website or follow @BJKCup on X, Billie Jean King Cup on Facebook and @billiejeankingcup on Instagram.
Tune in to watch the live stream of the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals and Play-off draws on Tuesday 30 April at 12:00 BST (11:00 GMT) at billiejeankingcup.com.
Conchita Martinez returns as BJK Cup Finals Tournament Director following a successful first year in 2023
billiejeankingcup.com
