Everything you need to know about the women's World Cup of Tennis
16/10/2023 09:39
The 2023 Billie Jean King by Gainbridge Finals are coming to Seville, with the women's World Cup of Tennis set to take centre stage between November 7-12 at Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla. Here is your guide to what lies in wait
By Kevin Palmer
The 2023 Billie Jean King by Gainbridge Finals are coming to Seville, with the women's World Cup of Tennis set to take centre stage between November 7-12 at Estadio La Cartuja de Sevilla.
Here is your guide to what lies in wait as the 12 nations who have qualified for the Finals prepare to battle it out for the most prestigious team prize in women's tennis.
WHAT IS THE BILLE JEAN KING CUP?
Formerly know as the Federation Cup (1963-1995) and Fed Cup (1995-2020), this competition was launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation and is firmly established as the biggest team event in women's sport.
It is now the world's largest annual international team competition in women's sport, with a record 134 nations entering this year's competition.
There have been 12 different winners of the Billie Jean King Cup, with last year's champions Switzerland adding their name to that elite list of nations to have lifted the trophy for the first time.
In September 2020, the competition was officially renamed in honour of 39-time Grand Slam champion King, who won it seven times as a player and four times as a captain (including once as a player-captain).
HOW DID TEAMS REACH THE FINALS IN SEVILLE?
The 12 nations that will compete in the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals have earned their place in the draw via different routes.
Reigning champions Switzerland qualified after their triumph in the Final in Glasgow last year, along with runners-up Australia.
They will be joined by the winners of the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers that were staged in April, with Canada, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Spain and USA emerging through that process.
Poland will complete the line-up in Seville after they were awarded the solitary wild card up for grabs.
HOW WILL THE FINALS WILL WORK?
The 12 teams will compete in four round-robin groups and the winners will progress to the semi-finals.
Group A will be led by champions Switzerland, with Czechia and the USA also in this pool.
Australia are the highest-ranked team in Group B, with Kazakhstan and Slovenia also included in this section.
Group C includes host nation Spain, Canada and wild cards Poland, while Group D features France, Italy and Germany.
The matches will be played across the week of 7-12 November at the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville.
WHAT ABOUT THE SCHEDULE OF PLAY?
All ties at the Finals will consist of three matches consisting of two singles followed by doubles.
The opening match of the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville will see Australia take on Slovenia in Group B on Tuesday 7 November, with that contest getting underway at 10:00 CET.
Switzerland will then start the defence of their title when they take on Czechia in the late match that gets underway at 16:00 CET.
Day two will see France take on Italy in the early match, with a big crowd expected for the late match as hosts Spain take on Canada.
Thursday will see a plethora of matches on Centre Court and Court 1, with Australia playing Kazakhstan in a morning session that will also feature the clash between Italy and Germany.
The evening session will see Switzerland take on USA and Canada play Poland.
The groups will be decided on Friday, with France facing Germany and Kazakhstan taking on Slovenia in the morning session before Spain play Poland and Czechia take on USA in the late session.
Group winners will face each other in the semi-finals on Saturday before the final is played on Sunday 11 November.
HOW DO I GET TICKETS?
Tickets are on sale for the 2023 Billie Jean King Finals, with prices from €15 for the group stages and €22 for the semi-finals on November 11 and final on November 12.
A ticket that covers all matches for a whole week of tennis is available at €93. This ticket also grants access to ties played on Court 1 in an unnumbered area with limited space on a first-come, first-serve basis.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN SEVILLE?
Tennis fans attending the festival of women's tennis in Seville can expect great action on the court and plenty of entertainment off it.
A Fan Zone will include family-friendly entertainment including a DJ, live band, face painting, a photo booth, player autograph sessions, tennis challenges and lots of other great activities for all ages.
