The Billie Jean King Cup Finals run from September 22 to 27 at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre Arena. A record 148 nations entered this year’s competition at various levels before the field narrowed to the final eight.
No margin for error
This is the second year the final stage has featured eight teams rather than twelve, after the format changed in 2025 to match the Davis Cup Final 8 structure. Each tie is decided by two singles matches and, if needed, a doubles match; the first team to two wins advances. All matches are best-of-three tiebreak sets, and each tie is completed within a single day.
Who will play in Shenzhen
Ukraine, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Czechia, Kazakhstan, Belgium and host nation China have qualified for the 2026 finals.
Defending champion Italy is chasing a third straight title after winning the last two editions and taking its sixth overall crown in 2025. Jasmine Paolini leads the singles lineup again, with Sara Errani providing the doubles pairing that has carried the team through recent ties.
Host nation China qualified automatically. Zheng Qinwen, the 2024 Paris Olympic champion, carries the team’s ranking and plays in front of a home crowd at this stage for the first time.
Elina Svitolina returns to lead Ukraine, seeded No. 3 after the team reached the semifinals for the first time a year ago. Lyudmyla Kichenok, a former world No. 3 in doubles, gives Ukraine a second option beyond singles.
Czechia is back after missing last season, an 11-time champion that reached Shenzhen by beating Switzerland 3-2 in April, a tie decided when Linda Noskova beat Belinda Bencic.
World No. 1 Elena Rybakina carries Kazakhstan’s hopes of a first title. Belgium is here after knocking out the United States, the competition’s most decorated team, making it the round’s biggest upset.
Billie Jean King Cup Finals 2026 schedule
- Tuesday, September 22: Czechia vs Great Britain (Quarterfinal 1)
- Wednesday, September 23: Spain vs Kazakhstan (Quarterfinal 2)
- Thursday, September 24: Ukraine vs Belgium (Quarterfinal 3); China vs Italy (Quarterfinal 4)
- Friday, September 25: Semifinal 1: Quarterfinal 1 winner vs Quarterfinal 2 winner
- Saturday, September 26: Semifinal 2: Quarterfinal 3 winner vs Quarterfinal 4 winner
- Sunday, September 27: Final
Partnership on global scale
1xBet is a Global Partner of the Billie Jean King Cup, the women’s team event that runs alongside the Davis Cup. The final eight format, introduced in 2025, keeps every tie to a single day of play. The champion will be decided on September 27.
