It’s hard to envision anyone making the same impact as Billie Jean King in the world of women’s sports. Her influence has extended far beyond tennis, transforming ice hockey, lacrosse, collegiate sports, and the Olympics. She has created opportunities where none existed, reshaping how we study women’s and girls’ involvement in sports across all ages and levels. Yet, her heart will always belong to tennis.
The Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge® stands as the largest women’s team tennis event, held alongside the Davis Cup each year. Known as the Women’s World Cup of Tennis, this competition features a highly competitive qualifying structure, with teams from around the world vying for the prestigious title. Its team-based format, which challenges athletes accustomed to individual play, often leads to unexpected champions and thrilling matches.
With a packed WTA calendar, many top players still prioritize this tournament. Why is that?
The Partners
The Cup was originally introduced in 1963 as the Federation Cup to mark the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation. In 1995, it was renamed the Fed Cup, but the most significant changes occurred in the 2020s. In 2020, the competition was renamed in honor of Billie Jean King to celebrate her pioneering efforts in advancing equality in women’s sports and her impressive 10 Cup championships as both player and coach. Around the same time, a major shift occurred: thanks to Gainbridge, the prize money was raised to match the Davis Cup, with $9.6 million USD awaiting the finalists this year.
Gainbridge has played a key role in supporting women’s sports, making landmark investments that have elevated the prestige of events like the Billie Jean King Cup.
“We see these partners as true collaborators, not just sponsors,” says Solene Agostini-Guitton, Senior Partnerships Manager for the BJK Cup. “We work together to ensure we’re aligned in our mission, and we team up to promote women’s sports globally. It’s vital for us to find partners like Gainbridge who share that alignment.”
Now in its third year of support, Gainbridge is ensuring that not only the top athletes are rewarded but also that the next generation of women and girls in sports receive the necessary support. The Billie Jean King Cup is part of Parity Week by Gainbridge®, which provides grants to 21 organizations driving progress in women’s sports. To learn more about these organizations and Parity Week, visit Parity’s website.
The Format
This year, four countries have automatically qualified for the tournament: Canada as the defending champion, Italy as the runner-up, Spain as the host country, and Czechia as the wildcard. These teams will be joined by Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and the USA, who earned their spots through qualifiers held in April. Teams that didn’t make it through the qualifiers will compete in the BJK Cup playoffs during the Cup week for a chance to qualify for the 2025 edition.
While the qualifiers and playoffs follow a best-of-five format (four singles matches followed by doubles), the Finals have a condensed best-of-three format (two singles matches followed by doubles). The Finals take place over four rounds, with Canada, Italy, and Czechia already progressing to the quarterfinals.
The Players
Each team is made up of five athletes, including some of tennis’ biggest stars. Poland’s world number 2 Iga Świątek will lead her team, while Italy’s number 4 Jasmine Paolini aims to take Italy to victory. Last year, Paolini fell short of the title, thanks to the brilliant performance of Canadian young gun Leylah Fernandez, who helped Canada secure their first-ever international team tournament win. Fernandez, fresh off her second Olympic Games at just 22 years old, is sure to be a major contender once again. The US team, captained by three-time Grand Slam winner Lindsay Davenport, is looking to claim its first BJK Cup title since 2017.
The 2024 BJK Cup
This year’s Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge® will be held in Malaga, Spain, from November 13 to 20. If you’re looking for a sports-packed getaway, Solene Agostini-Guitton invites fans to attend: “For the second consecutive year, the Billie Jean King Cup is in Spain, where tennis enjoys huge popularity. The tournament will overlap with the Davis Cup (taking place nearby from November 18-24), so tennis fans can experience two major events in one region. Given the recent catastrophic flooding in Spain, attending these events is also a way to support the Spanish economy.”
For those who can’t make it, the Cup will be broadcast across 50 countries, including on the Tennis Channel (US), Movistar (Spain), BBC (UK), and BeInSport (France). For more details on rosters, ticket purchases, the Finals schedule, and the latest Cup news, visit the Billie Jean King Cup website.
