Osaka, Swiatek Set To Represent Their Nations In Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers

Naomi Osaka (photo: Brigitte Urban)

ITF Press Release, March 15, 2024

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek leads a strong line-up of players who will compete at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers in April, with four other Grand Slam singles champions also set to compete for their countries.

Four-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek will look to secure Poland’s place at November’s Finals in an away clash against Switzerland in Biel.

Meanwhile, fellow four-time major champion Naomi Osaka has been nominated for Japan for the first time since 2020 and will hope to secure victory in a home tie against Kazakhstan in Tokyo. Also making their Billie Jean King Cup returns are Simona Halep (Romania), Angelique Kerber (Germany) and Emma Raducanu (Great Britain).

Other stars named in their nations’ squads for the Qualifiers include Katie Boulter (Great Britain), Caroline Garcia (France), Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil), Storm Hunter (Australia), Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula (USA) and Elina Svitolina (Ukraine).

The Qualifiers will take place on 12-13 April, with two singles matches on the first day of play (when each nation’s No. 1 singles player competes against the opposition’s No. 2 player), followed by two singles matches (No. 1 v No. 1 then No. 2 v No. 2) and a doubles match on the second day.

The eight winning nations from the Qualifiers will join 2023 world champions Canada, 2023 runners-up Italy, hosts Spain and wild cards Czechia at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals in Seville in November.

The eight losing nations will compete in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Play-offs in November alongside the best-performing nations at the three 2024 regional Group I events, which also take place during the week commencing 8 April. Winning nations in the Play-offs will earn a place in next year’s Qualifiers.

The players competing at the three regional Group I events were announced earlier this week, with Australian Open runner-up Zheng Qinwen, world No. 9 Maria Sakkari and Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko and Caroline Wozniacki set to compete for their nations.

2024 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers

Friday 12-Saturday 13 April

Australia v Mexico

Venue: Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane, Australia (hard, outdoors)

Head-to-head: Australia lead 1-0

Australia

Arina Rodionova

Daria Saville

Storm Hunter

Taylah Preston

Ellen Perez

Captain: Samantha Stosur

Mexico

Fernanda Contreras

Marcela Zacarias

Maria Fernanda Navarro Oliva

Giuliana Olmos

Captain: Agustin Moreno

Switzerland v Poland

Venue: Jan Group Arena (Swiss Tennis Arena), Biel, Switzerland (hard, indoors)

Head-to-head: tied 1-1

Switzerland

Viktorija Golubic

Céline Naef

Simona Waltert

Jil Teichmann

Captain: Heinz Günthardt

Poland

Iga Swiatek

Magdalena Frech

Magda Linette

Kataryzna Kawa

Maja Chwalinska

Captain: Dawid Celt

France v Great Britain

Venue: Le Chaudron, Le Portel, France (clay, indoors)

Head-to-head: tied 2-2

France

Caroline Garcia

Clara Burel

Diane Parry

Kristina Mladenovic

Captain: Julien Benneteau

Great Britain

Katie Boulter

Harriet Dart

Heather Watson

Emma Raducanu

Captain: Anne Keothavong

USA v Belgium

Venue: USTA National Campus, Orlando, USA (hard, outdoors)

Head-to-head: USA lead 5-2

USA

Jessica Pegula

Madison Keys

Emma Navarro

Caroline Dolehide

Taylor Townsend

Captain: Lindsay Davenport

Belgium

Sofia Costoulas

Hanne Vandewinkel

Marie Benoit

Kimberley Zimmermann

Captain: Wim Fissette

Japan v Kazakhstan

Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan (hard, indoors)

Head-to-head: Japan lead 4-1

Japan

Nao Hibino

Mai Hontama

Naomi Osaka

Ena Shibahara

Shuko Aoyama

Captain: Ai Sugiyama

Kazakhstan

Yulia Putintseva

Zhibek Kulambayeva

Aruzhan Sagandikova

Anna Danilina

Zarina Diyas

Captain: Yuriy Schukin

Brazil v Germany

Venue: Ginásio Ibirapuera, São Paulo, Brazil (clay, indoors)

Head-to-head: Germany lead 5-0

Brazil

Beatriz Haddad Maia

Laura Pigossi

Carolina Alves

Luisa Stefani

Ingrid Martins

Captain: Luiz Francisco Garcia Peniza Neto

Germany

Tatjana Maria

Laura Siegemund

Anna-Lena Friedsam

Angelique Kerber

Captain: Rainer Schüttler

Slovakia v Slovenia

Venue: Peugeot Arena in NTC, Bratislava, Slovakia (hard, indoors)

Head-to-head: first meeting

Slovakia

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova

Rebecca Sramkova

Viktoria Hruncakova

Renata Jamrichova

Tereza Mihalikova

Captain: Matej Liptak

Slovenia

Tamara Zidanšek

Veronika Erjavec

Pia Lovric

Nina Potocnik

Ela Milic

Captain: Andrej Kraševec

Ukraine v Romania

Venue: Racquet Park Drive at Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, USA (clay, outdoors)

Head-to-head: Romania lead 3-1

Ukraine

Elina Svitolina

Lesia Tsurenko

Yuliia Starodubtseva

Liudmyla Kichenok

Nadiia Kichenok

Captain: Mykhailo Filima

Romania

Ana Bogdan

Jaqueline Cristian

Anca Todoni

Mara Gae

Simona Halep

Captain: Horia Tecau