Billie Jean King Cup at 60: Six decades of breaking new ground

Today marks 60 years since the first Billie Jean King Cup final between the United States and Australia was contested at Queen’s Club, London and the milestone will today be celebrated across the ITF's digital platforms.

 

The six decades since that inaugural final have been characterised by magical on-court moments, but also the transformative effect the competition, which continues to break new ground, has had on the women’s game.

 

Federation Cup was the original iteration of the global extravaganza and when first played in June 1963 it created a ground-breaking platform which granted women deserved opportunity and exposure within tennis and beyond.

 

It was a significant moment as, for the first time, nations were able to field a team of women to represent them at international level while wearing their national team colours.

 

Whether Fed Cup or following its most recent rebrand to Billie Jean King Cup in 2020, the women’s world cup of tennis has continued to develop as a bold and powerful mechanism for the growth of women’s tennis worldwide.

 

Billie Jean King Cup is now the largest annual women’s team competition in sport, and in 2022 the competition was broadcast to an unprecedented 196 territories, while a record 134 nations have entered this year's event.

 

Thanks to new title sponsor Gainbridge, women are awarded the same prize money purse as their Davis Cup counterparts, with 2022 world champions Switzerland taking home an unprecedented $2m.

 

The essence of the competition reflects the qualities of its now eponymous heroine, Billie Jean King – a trailblazer and fearless advocate for women and equality, and someone prepared to fight battles on and off court.

 

Throughout her life, King has worked tirelessly to promote parity, respect, recognition and opportunity regardless of gender, and the women’s world cup of tennis has played a crucial part in this.

 

King, who turns 80 in November, represented the United States on more than 30 occasions during her illustrious career and won the first edition of the competition with USA before chalking up 10 titles as both player and captain.

 

She has always viewed the competition as an opportunity for skill, passion and determination to be showcased in a team setting. She also understood its potential for empowering, changing attitudes and creating a space for women to take their rightful place on the world stage.

 

The 60-year milestone is therefore an opportune time to celebrate Billie Jean King Cup’s glorious history, remembering triumph and struggle in equal measure, while also looking to the future with courage and confidence.

 

There are many more – perhaps even bigger and bolder – chapters of Billie Jean King Cup to be written. Here’s to the next 60 years.