The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced that the Billie Jean King Cup will be reduced from its current 12-team competition to an eight-team event in 2025. This is to replicate the current Davis Cup playing structure.
This change aims to bring the international team competitions in both women’s and men’s tennis closer together. In order to make this transition, the 2025 competition qualifiers will play across seven group events in April, with three teams in each group.
The round-robin competition style will be implemented in the course of three days of events that will all take place in one location. A host country will compete in the finals alongside seven group winners.
Furthermore, home-and-away matches will be reinstated in the qualifying matches starting 2026.
ITF president David Haggerty said: “I am excited for the future of both competitions… The format amendments aim to build on the success we have seen across both events in recent years and contribute towards our long-term ambition to bring them more in sync under the World Cup of Tennis banner.”
Meanwhile, the September stage of the Davis Cup in 2025 will consist of seven home-or-away matches in the course of two days instead of the current four group-stage matches spread over six days. The seven winning teams will compete in the final eight against a host country in November.
Source: CNA