Some of the biggest names in women's tennis have been confirmed for this year's Billie Jean King Cup finals, tennis's premier international team competition. Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina and Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen highlight the lineup of players nominated to compete in the finals, according to ESPN and the Associated Press.

Eight nations, one host city

The finals will be held from 22 to 27 September in Shenzhen, in southern China, marking the second year running that the event has taken place there. Eight teams will compete, with matchups featuring two singles matches and a deciding doubles rubber if needed.

Italy arrives as two-time defending champion, having beaten the United States 2-0 in last year's final. Jasmine Paolini and her doubles partner Sara Errani are back to lead the Italian squad, which also includes Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Lucia Bronzetti and Tyra Caterina Grant under captain Tathiana Garbin.

For European readers, Italy's continued dominance in the competition, previously known as the Fed Cup, is notable given the country's broader resurgence in tennis, from Jannik Sinner's rise on the men's tour to Paolini's own run to two Grand Slam finals in 2024.

A Wimbledon rematch and a home crowd for China

Noskova will represent Czechia alongside Karolina Muchova, the player she defeated in this year's Wimbledon final, plus Marie Bouzkova and top-ranked doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova. The team is captained by Barbora Strycova, a former doubles world number one.

Rybakina leads Kazakhstan's squad, while Zheng, who won Olympic gold at the 2024 Paris Games, captains the host nation China alongside Zhang Shuai and Wang Xiyu, with former player Zheng Jie serving as captain. Playing in front of a home crowd in Shenzhen gives China's team an added incentive, after the country hosted the finals for the first time in 2025.

“Marta Kostyuk and Elina Svitolina lead Ukraine, a squad that continues to compete internationally despite the war at home, giving the team's matches added resonance for European audiences following the conflict closely.”

Squads can still change

Britain's team, captained by Anne Keothavong, includes Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Mika Stojsavljevic and Jodie Burrage. Spain has also named its squad, led by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro and Kaitlin Quevedo, as the eight competing nations finalise their rosters.

Nations retain some flexibility ahead of the tie. Teams can make up to four changes to their squads until the day before the finals begin, meaning the final lineups could still shift in the coming weeks as players manage their schedules and fitness through the closing stretch of the season.

The Billie Jean King Cup, named after the American tennis pioneer and equal-pay campaigner, is the largest annual international team competition in women's sport by number of participating nations. Its finals format, adopted in recent years, condenses the knockout stages into a single week at one host venue, a change from the home-and-away ties that characterised the competition for decades.

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