The 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals begin on September 16 in Shenzhen, China with eight teams battling to add their names to the illustrious tournament’s roll of honour.
Italy are back to try and defend the title they won in Malaga last year, while the USA are looking to claim a record-extending 19th success but a first since 2017.
There are also five nations in the competition seeking to win the biggest prize in women’s team tennis for the first time in their history.
Here, we take a closer look at the teams vying to lift the BJK Cup trophy on September 21 at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.
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September means #BJKCup Finals Month! 🙌
Get ready for the Women’s World Cup of Tennis in Shenzhen, 16-21 September 🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/HudgJNnXPr
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) September 1, 2025
China
Captain: Liu Feng
Team: Wang Xinyu (replacing Zheng Qinwen), Yuan Yue, Zhang Shuai, Jiang Xinyu, Wang Xiyu
Previous best: World Group semifinals (2008)
Host nation China are making their debut in the BJK Cup Finals and will be eager to make the most of home conditions in Shenzhen, where the week-long competition will be held for the next three years.
China, whose previous best showing was reaching the World Group semifinal in 2008, have a strong lineup but will be without world number seven and reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who pulled out of the lineup late on. They face a tough task to progress beyond the quarterfinals after being paired with defending champions Italy first up.
Great Britain
Captain: Anne Keothavong
Team: Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Jodie Burrage, Francesca Jones (replacing Emma Raducanu)
Previous best: Runners-up (1967, 1971, 1972, 1981)
Great Britain are one of the five teams competing this year who are looking to become first-time winners, although they have reached the final of the competition four times previously when it was known as the Federation Cup.
GB also reached the semifinals last time out, beating 2023 champions Canada before losing 2-1 to Slovakia in Malaga, and with leading light Katie Boulter set to be involved once again this time, they will hope to learn from that experience and go even further.
Seeded second, Anne Keothavong’s team will face Japan in the quarterfinals this year.
Italy
Captain: Tathiana Garbin
Team: Jasmine Paolini, Lucia Bronzetti, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Sara Errani
Previous best: Winners (2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2024)
Italy have thrived in this competition over the last two decades and they are among the big favourites again this year. Prior to 2006 they had barely made an impact, despite being one of only four teams to have taken part every year since the tournament was launched in 1963, but in recent times they have won the cup five times, as well as finishing runners-up in 2007 and 2023.
With Jasmine Paolini — the 2024 Heart Award winner — Lucia Bronzetti, Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Sara Errani all returning to defend the crown they won last year, Italy coach Tathiana Garbin has selected a team that knows how to get the job done and the top seeds could take some stopping as they try to become the first team since the Czech Republic in 2016 to win back-to-back titles.
Japan
Captain: Ai Sugiyama
Team: Moyuka Uchijima, Ena Shibahara, Eri Hozumi, Shuko Aoyama, Nao Hibino (replacing Naomi Osaka)
Previous best: World Group semifinal (1996)
Japan have never before reached the Finals but can take heart from recent performances as they seek to reach uncharted territories. They made it to the quarterfinals last year before losing 2-1 to eventual winners Italy, for whom doubles stars Errani and Paolini got them over the line, and in reaching the 2025 BJK Cup Finals Japan fought back to defeat former champions Canada in qualifying.
Four-time major winner Naomi Osaka was in line to carry much of Japan’s hopes but she pulled out immediately after the US Open.
Kazakhstan
Captain: Yuriy Schukin
Team: Elena Rybakina, Yulia Putintseva, Zarina Diyas, Anna Danilina, Zhibek Kulambayeva
Previous best: BJK Cup Finals (2022, 2023)
Kazakhstan will look to further establish themselves as a rising power on the global stage when they go in search of a maiden BJK Cup title. They reached the Finals in 2022 and 2023, narrowly missing out on a semifinal spot on both occasions, and are back hoping to impress again this year after failing to qualify in 2024.
Elena Rybakina, who became the first Kazakh player to win a major in 2022 when she triumphed at Wimbledon, is the big name on their team but the world No. 10 will need help as Kazakhstan look to progress past a powerful USA team in the quarterfinals.
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Spain
Captain: Carla Suarez Navarro
Team: Paula Badosa, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Cristina Bucsa, Aliona Bolsova, Leyre Romero (replacing Nuria Parrizas Diaz)
Previous best: Winners (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1998)
Spain were the gold standard in this competition around the turn of the century when a team which had Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez — the current BJK Cup tournament director — at its core won five titles and finished runners-up five times in 13 years.
However, the Spanish have only reached the final once since then, in 2008 when they were brushed aside by the tournament’s new superpowers Russia in Madrid, and following a disappointing early exit in front of their own fans in Malaga last year, Carla Suarez Navarro’s side will be eager to rediscover past glories.
Ukraine
Captain: Illya Marchenko
Team: Elina Svitolina, Marta Kostyuk, Lyudmyla Kichenok, Nadiia Kichenok, Yuliia Starodubtseva
Previous best: World Group quarterfinal (2010, 2012)
Another of the quintet of teams chasing a first world title, Ukraine are making their debut in the BJK Cup Finals after Elina Svitolina led them to a crunch victory over 2022 champions Switzerland in the qualifying round.
Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk — ranked 15th and 28th in the world rankings — will look to conquer their Spanish opponents in the quarterfinal singles before twins Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok take to the court in the doubles.
USA
Captain: Lindsay Davenport
Team: Jessica Pegula, Emma Navarro, Hailey Baptiste, Taylor Townsend, McCartney Kessler (replacing Madison Keys)
Previous best: Winners (1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2017)
USA’s record in this competition is unmatched, winning 18 times and finishing runners-up on a further 12 occasions, but they have lost their place at the top of the table in recent times with only one title in the last 25 years.
However, captain Lindsay Davenport — who won the Fed Cup three times as a player — has selected a team brimming with talent that could go all the way in Shenzhen.
Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro are in the top 11 of the singles rankings while Taylor Townsend, the only surviving member of the team which fell at the first hurdle in 2024, is the world’s top-ranked doubles player. McCartney Kessler is a late call-up to replace Madison Keys.
The third seeds begin their campaign against Kazakhstan.
When is the Billie Jean King Cup Finals 2025?
The 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals take place in Shenzhen, China from September 16-21.
Eight teams will battle it out for the title in what has become known as the women’s ‘World Cup of tennis’.
Italy are the defending champions after winning the title in 2024, while USA will be expected to challenge as the record 18-time winners.
