STARNBERG, April 14, 2025
The 2025 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers concluded on Sunday as Japan and United States topped their groups to seal the remaining two places in the Finals in Shenzhen scheduled for 16-21 September.
Japan overcame Canada in a winner takes all clash in Tokyo, thanks to a superb decisive doubles win from Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara, who defeated Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino 6-3 5-7 6-2 in front of a raucous home crowd.
Later on Sunday, a steady performance from Hailey Baptiste and a resilient comeback from Bernarda Pera lifted the United States through to the 2025 Finals with a 2-1 victory over Slovakia to win Qualifying Group C in Bratislava.
Baptiste and Pera, each making their first Billie Jean King Cup appearances, combined to go 4-0 in singles over the weekend to clinch victories over both Denmark and the host Slovakians. After Baptiste gave the US-Americans a 1-0 lead in Sunday’s decisive tie, Pera rallied from 0-4 down in the second set against world No. 37 Rebecca Sramkova to clinch the Finals berth for the U.S.
Completing the #BJKCup Finals line-up
Bernarda Pera books Team USA’s place in Shenzhen with a stunning 7-6(2) 7-5 victory over Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia! pic.twitter.com/I4Lp7uf8JW
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) April 13, 2025
SUNDAY RESULTS
Group A – Japan defeated Canada 2-1
Ariake Colosseum, Tokyo, Japan (hard, indoors)
Victoria Mboko (CAN) d. Ena Shibahara (JPN) 6-4 6-7(8) 7-5
Moyuka Uchijima (JPN) d. Marina Stakusic (CAN) 6-3 6-3
Shuko Aoyama/Ena Shibahara (JPN) d. Kayla Cross/Rebecca Marino (CAN) 6-3 5-7 6-2
Group C – USA defeated Slovakia 2-1
Peugeot Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia (hard, indoors)
Hailey Baptiste (USA) d. Renata Jamrichova (SVK) 6-3 6-4
Bernarda Pera (USA) d. Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) 7-6(2) 7-5
Mia Pohankova/Tereza Mihalikova (SVK) d. Desirae Krawczyk/Asia Muhammad (USA) 3-0 ret.
The conclusion of Sunday’s Qualifiers action means the full line up for the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals in Shenzhen is as follows:
China (host nation)
Italy (2024 world champions)
Japan (Group A winner)
Spain (Group B winner)
USA (Group C winner)
Kazakhstan (Group D winner)
Ukraine (Group E winner)
Great Britain (Group F winner)
Ukraine will be making their debut at the Finals after topping Group E in Radom following a 3-0 victory over hosts Poland on Friday, and a 2-1 win against Switzerland on Saturday.
The second and third-placed nations in each Qualifiers group will compete in the Play-offs which will be played in the week commencing 10 November.
The draw for the Finals will take place on 12 May with further details to be announced soon. The date for the Play-offs draw will be confirmed in due course.
The Billie Jean King cup Finals has moved from a 12 to an eight-team event to mirror the existing Davis Cup Final 8 format.
In order to make that transition, the Qualifiers were played across six group events consisting of three teams per group. Each three-day event was held in one location and played on a round-robin basis. Home-or-away ties will return in the Qualifiers from 2026 onwards.
The Play-offs will consist of seven groups of three teams, with one host nation per group. They will be three-day events with each tie consisting of two singles and one doubles match. The seven group winners will progress to the 2026 Qualifiers.
Three Group I regional events took place this week in Vilnius, Lithuania (Europe/Africa), Guadalajara, Mexico (Americas) and Pune, India (Asia/Oceania), where eight teams secured promotion from Group I and will compete in the Play-offs in November. The full list of nations competing in the November Play-offs will be:
Promoted from Group I
Argentina
Belgium
Croatia
India
Mexico
New Zealand
Portugal
Turkiye
Highest ranked Group I nation (3rd place Americas, 3rd place Asia/Oceania, losers of Europe/Africa promotion play-offs)*
*Using BJKC Nations Rankings week beginning 14 April
2nd and 3rd in Qualifiers
Australia
Brazil
Canada
Colombia
Czechia
Denmark
Germany
Netherlands
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Switzerland
Europe/Africa Group II was staged in Larnaca, Cyprus this week, with Georgia and Norway earning promotion to Group I.
