Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers squads revealed as Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina skip ties
WTA
The Billie Jean King Cup returns in less than a month with the Qualifiers stage scheduled for the week of April 6, where several of the WTA Tour’s top players – including Elina Svitolina, Belinda Bencic, Jasmine Paolini and Victoria Mboko – are expected to represent their countries, while major stars such as Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina will skip the ties.
The seven series will determine which teams secure places at the Finals in Shenzhen this September, where only host nation China has already confirmed its spot. A total of 14 teams will compete in seven ties during the Qualifiers, with the winners advancing to the Finals.
The ties will be played in the traditional five-match format across two days: two singles rubbers on the opening day, followed by a doubles match on day two and up to two additional singles matches if required to decide the series.
Elsewhere, around 40 nations will compete simultaneously in the regional group events, making the Billie Jean King Cup weekend one of the busiest moments of the season for national-team tennis. The Qualifiers represent the decisive stage before the Finals, where the successful teams will join China in Shenzhen to compete for the title.
The defending champions are Italy, who arrive after winning back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025. The Italians defeated Slovakia in the 2024 final before overcoming the United States in 2025, and will once again rely on players such as Jasmine Paolini and Elisabetta Cocciaretto as they attempt to remain among the leading contenders in the competition.
Several top stars skip the competition amid calendar transition
Despite the presence of several established names, the Qualifiers will also be notable for the absence of some of the biggest stars on the WTA Tour. The ties take place during a transitional period in the calendar, immediately after the Sunshine Double – Indian Wells and the Miami Open – and just before the start of the European clay swing, prompting some players to prioritise preparation for the upcoming surface change.
Among the most prominent absentees are Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina, two of the tour’s leading figures who will not take part in this stage of the competition. The United States will also compete without several of its biggest stars, including Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova, who are not part of the American squad for the Qualifiers. Their absence significantly alters the landscape of the competition, particularly after the U.S. reached the final in 2025.
Several other nations will also be missing key players. Great Britain will be without Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter, while Australia does not feature Daria Kasatkina in its squad. Meanwhile, Czechia will miss former Grand Slam champions Barbora Krejcikova and Marketa Vondrousova, both of whom have played major roles in previous Billie Jean King Cup campaigns.
Paula Badosa, Naomi Osaka and Leylah Fernandez are among the high-profile names not included in their respective national squads for this stage of the competition. All three have been regular figures in recent Billie Jean King Cup campaigns, but will sit out the April ties as the tour prepares for the transition from the North American hard courts to the European clay season.
*The confirmed team line-ups for each tie are listed below, detailing the players selected to represent their countries in the upcoming Qualifiers.
Italy vs Japan
H2H: ITA lead 1-0
| Italy Player | Ranking | Japan Player | Ranking |
| Jasmine Paolini | No. 7 (Singles) | Moyuka Uchijima | No. 77 (Singles) |
| Elisabetta Cocciaretto | No. 42 (Singles) | Himeno Sakatsume | No. 136 (Singles) |
| Lucia Bronzetti | No. 141 (Singles) | Nao Hibino | No. 175 (Singles) |
| Tyra Grant | No. 262 (Singles) | Eri Hozumi | No. 35 (Doubles) |
| Sara Errani | No. 4 (Doubles) | Shuko Aoyama | No. 50 (Doubles) |
| Tathiana Garbin (Captain) | — | Ai Sugiyama (Captain) | — |
Belgium vs USA
H2H: USA lead 6–2
| Belgium Player | Ranking | USA Player | Ranking |
| Elise Mertens | No. 21 (Singles) | Iva Jovic | No. 18 (Singles) |
| Hanne Vandewinkel | No. 115 (Singles) | Hailey Baptiste | No. 43 (Singles) |
| Sofia Costoulas | No. 140 (Singles) | McCartney Kessler | No. 51 (Singles) |
| Greet Minnen | No. 1533 (Singles) | Nicole Melichar-Martinez | No. 18 (Doubles) |
| Magali Kempen | No. 78 (Doubles) | — | — |
| Wim Fissette (Captain) | — | Lindsay Davenport (Captain) | — |
Australia vs Great Britain
H2H: Australia lead 8–3
| Australia Player | Ranking | Great Britain Player | Ranking |
| Maya Joint | No. 29 (Singles) | Sonay Kartal | No. 54 (Singles) |
| Kimberly Birrell | No. 69 (Singles) | Harriet Dart | No. 162 (Singles) |
| Talia Gibson | No. 112 (Singles) | Mika Stojsavljevic | No. 284 (Singles) |
| Storm Hunter | No. 21 (Doubles) | Jodie Burrage | No. 215 (Doubles) |
| Ellen Perez | No. 26 (Doubles) | — | — |
| Samantha Stosur (Captain) | — | Anne Keothavong (Captain) | — |
Kazakhstan vs Canada
H2H: Canada lead 1–0
| Kazakhstan Player | Ranking | Canada Player | Ranking |
| Yulia Putintseva | No. 76 (Singles) | Victoria Mboko | No. 10 (Singles) |
| Zhibek Kulambayeva | No. 388 (Singles) | Marina Stakusic | No. 130 (Singles) |
| Aruzhan Sagandykova | No. 769 (Singles) | Bianca Andreescu | No. 165 (Singles) |
| Sonja Zhiyenbayeva | No. 765 (Doubles) | Kayla Cross | No. 194 (Singles) |
| Anna Danilina | No. 7 (Doubles) | Gabriela Dabrowski | No. 2 (Doubles) |
| Yuriy Schukin (Captain) | — | Marie-Eve Pelletier (Captain) |
Slovenia vs Spain
H2H: First meeting
| Slovenia Player | Ranking | Spain Player | Ranking |
| Kaja Juvan | No. 92 (Singles) | Cristina Bucsa | No. 31 (Singles) |
| Veronika Erjavec | No. 102 (Singles) | Kaitlin Quevedo | No. 133 (Singles) |
| Tamara Zidansek | No. 148 (Singles) | Leyre Romero | No. 144 (Singles) |
| Dalila Jakupovic | No. 123 (Doubles) | Guiomar Maristany | No. 171 (Singles) |
| Nika Radisic | No. 114 (Doubles) | Sara Sorribes Tormo | No. 449 (Singles) |
| Masa Zec Peskiric (Captain) | — | Carla Suarez Navarro (Captain) |
Switzerland vs Czechia
H2H: Czechia lead 8–3
| Switzerland Player | Ranking | Czechia Player | Ranking |
| Belinda Bencic | No. 12 (Singles) | Linda Noskova | No. 14 (Singles) |
| Viktorija Golubic | No. 75 (Singles) | Marie Bouzkova | No. 33 (Singles) |
| Rebeka Masarova | No. 110 (Singles) | Sara Bejlek | No. 40 (Singles) |
| Celine Naef | No. 228 (Singles) | Tereza Valentova | No. 47 (Singles) |
| Heinz Guenthardt (Captain) | — | Barbora Strycova (Captain) | — |
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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