Billie Jean King Cup Finals Squads: Iga Swiatek to Compete for Poland, but No Coco Gauff for U.S. Team
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek will play for Poland in the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup Finals, set to take place in Malaga, Spain, from November 13 to November 20. Initially, Swiatek was not expected to participate, but after recent changes in her team—including the replacement of her coach Tomasz Wiktorowski with Wim Fissette—she withdrew from tournaments in Beijing and Wuhan, making her fresher for the finals. Swiatek, who had been eliminated in the round-robin stage of the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a 2-1 record, announced her participation via X on October 22, sharing, “See you in Malaga! I’m happy to announce that I will play in the BJKC Finals.” This decision marks a shift from Swiatek's previous stance; in 2023, she skipped the Billie Jean King Cup, citing health concerns due to tight travel schedules. This year, her focus on representing Poland is clear and enthusiastic. Meanwhile, World No. 3 Coco Gauff, fresh off a victory in Riyadh, will not join the U.S. squad. Fellow American Jessica Pegula, who reached the U.S. Open final and subsequently qualified for the WTA Tour Finals, will also sit out due to a knee injury. Despite her strong season, Emma Navarro, who was close to WTA Finals qualification, is also absent from Team USA. Several key players have withdrawn from other teams as well. Czech player Karolina Muchova and Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, who reached the WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia thanks to her Wimbledon title, have opted out of representing the Czech Republic. Japan’s Naomi Osaka, initially set to play, withdrew due to an injury sustained in a match against Gauff in Beijing. In Canada’s squad, Bianca Andreescu joins Leylah Fernandez, while Emma Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open winner, will represent Great Britain. Italy’s team features Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini alongside Sara Errani, who, together, recently won the women’s doubles gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Spain’s squad will be led by former World No. 2 Paula Badosa, while Olympic semifinalist Anna Karolina Schmiedlova will represent Slovakia. Twelve teams will compete: defending champions Canada, runners-up Italy, hosts Spain, and wildcard entrants the Czech Republic. Eight other teams—Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and the United States—earned their places through qualification rounds earlier in the year. The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will overlap with the Davis Cup Finals, also held in Malaga from November 19 to 24, with matches scheduled for morning and evening slots. Here’s the schedule for the upcoming matches:
 |
| Emma Raducanu is hoping to return to the court at the Billie Jean King Cup. (Aurelien Meunier / Getty Images for ITF) |
Canada: Bye Germany vs. Great Britain — November 15, evening Australia: Bye Slovakia vs. USA — November 14, evening Spain vs. Poland — November 13, evening Czech Republic: Bye Japan vs. Romania — November 14, morning Italy: Bye Full Billie Jean King Cup Finals Squads by Country Canada Leylah Fernandez Marina Stakusic Rebecca Marino Bianca Andreescu Gabriela Dabrowski Captain: Heidi El Tabakh Italy Jasmine Paolini Elisabetta Cocciaretto Martina Trevisan Lucia Bronzetti Sara Errani Captain: Tathiana Garbin Spain Paula Badosa Jessica Bouzas Maneiro Cristina Bucsa Nuria Parrizas Diaz Sara Sorribes Tormo Captain: Anabel Medina Garrigues Czech Republic Linda Noskova Katerina Siniakova Marie Bouzkova Captain: Petr Pala Australia Olivia Gadecki Daria Saville Ajla Tomljanovic Ellen Perez Captain: Samantha Stosur Germany Tatjana Maria Jule Niemeier Laura Siegemund Eva Lys Captain: Rainer Schüttler Great Britain Katie Boulter Emma Raducanu Harriet Dart Heather Watson Olivia Nicholls Captain: Anne Keothavong Japan Moyuka Uchijima Nao Hibino Eri Hozumi Shuko Aoyama Captain: Ai Sugiyama Poland Iga Swiatek Magdalena Frech Magda Linette Maja ChwaliÅ„ska Katarzyna Kawa Captain: Dawid Celt Romania Jaqueline Adina Cristian Ana Bogdan Elena Gabriela Ruse Alexia Anca Todoni Monica Niculescu Captain: Horia Tecau Slovakia Anna Karolina Schmiedlova Rebecca Sramkova Viktoria Hruncakova Renata Jamrichova Tereza Mihalikova Captain: Matej Liptak USA Jessica Pegula Danielle Collins Caroline Dolehide Taylor Townsend Peyton Stearns Captain: Lindsay Davenport The Billie Jean King Cup will air on Tennis Channel in the U.S., with BBC covering Great Britain’s matches. Other national broadcasters will provide coverage for each participating country’s teams. Home Google
.jpg)
