Billie Jean King Cup Finals: Katie Boulter outclasses Leylah Fernandez as Great Britain upset defending champions

Katie Boulter secured an impressive victory over Leylah Fernandez, defeating the 2021 US Open runner-up 6-2, 6-4, and clinched Great Britain’s spot in the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals. The British No. 1 delivered a commanding performance to eliminate defending champions Canada.

In the previous match, Emma Raducanu also secured an impressive victory, defeating Canadian No. 2 Rebecca Marino 6-0, 7-5. The 2021 US Open champion continues to shine in her comeback, delivering an outstanding performance with a 77% first-serve rate, winning 76% of those points—an area Raducanu has specifically focused on improving ahead of the 2025 season. Her win set the stage for Boulter to seal the series victory once again in straight sets.

Boulter’s power performance secures semifinal spot

In the opening set, Boulter made her intentions clear from the start. She earned her first break point in the first game, and although she couldn’t convert it, she consistently pressured Fernandez’s serve. Boulter finally broke in the third game, taking a 2-1 lead, though Fernandez immediately broke back in the fourth.

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With the match level, Boulter launched an impressive streak of four consecutive games, securing three breaks out of four opportunities to claim the set 6-2. The world No. 24 displayed strong stats, winning 69% of her first serves, hitting 9 winners, and committing just 13 unforced errors.

The second set followed a similar trajectory, with Boulter dominating early despite Fernandez’s resistance. Boulter capitalised on two of three break opportunities, quickly taking a double-break lead. In the fourth game, Fernandez fought hard for a comeback and created three break chances but failed to convert, allowing Boulter to extend her lead to 4-0.

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Leylah struggled to mount a comeback against the focused Brit. While Boulter’s first serve percentage dropped to 48% compared to Fernandez’s 71%.  Boulter had the opportunity to close out the match on her serve when leading 5-2, but Fernandez hinted at a comeback by securing a break and narrowing the gap. 

In the next game, the Canadian saved a match point to stay in the match, though it was of little use as Boulter sealed the victory on serve (in her fourth match point) by 6-2, 6-4, against a high-calibre opponent like Leylah.

Great Britain returns to the Billie Jean King Cup semifinals in top form, unbeaten in this tournament and brimming with confidence after defeating the defending champions. Their next opponents are surprise contenders Slovakia, led by Rebecca Sramkova (No. 43) and Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (No. 110), who have knocked out both the USA and Australia.