The Billie Jean King Cup (or BJK Cup) is the top international team competition in women's tennis. It was first held in 1963 as the Federation Cup to commemorate the International Tennis Federation's (ITF) 50th anniversary. The name was changed to Fed Cup in 1995, and it was changed again in September 2020 to honor the American tennis legend Billie Jean King.

The BJK Cup has existed in the professional tour for more than a century, in one form or the other. The idea for the championship first came in 1919 to Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, who won 17 grand slams in her career. She pushed for a tournament which was contested between teams from the USA and the UK. It was officially started in 1923, named the Wightman Cup. The idea was adopted by Nell Hopman, wife of Australian tennis legend Harry Hopman.

She hoped to create a tournament which would become the Women's version of a Davis Cup along with Mary Hardwick Hare, who showed proof of interest in such a tournament. Then, in 1963, the Federation Cup came into existence. Now, it is known as the Billie Jean King Cup.  

How to qualify for the Billie Jean King Cup?

Although many countries compete in the BJK Cup yearly, only 16 make it into the elite World Group and World Group II. The 2023 Qualifiers consisted of nine home bouts and nine away matches. Each bout was the best-of-five matches (four singles and one doubles). Teams that won advanced to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. Losing teams will compete in the playoffs, which will occur the same week as the Finals.

Countries that advance to the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers will compete the following year. Teams that finish last will compete in Group I competitions the following year.

Billie Jean King Cup Finals prize money

Billie Jean King Cup format

Twelve countries will compete for the prestigious Billie Jean King Cup trophy from November 7 to 12. Switzerland, as defending champions, and Australia, as runners-up in 2022, qualified automatically. Canada, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Spain, and the United States will join them. Poland will also play as they entered through a wild card.

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Teams will be split into four groups of three. They will compete in a round-robin format. The four group winners will go to the semi-finals, and the final will determine the champion.

Billie Jean King Cup winners list for the past 15 years

Which country has won the most Billie Jean King cup over the years?

Where is the Billie Jean King Cup held?

Glasgow played host to the BJK Cup 2022. This year, Spain has taken up hosting duties for the championship. Countries which qualified for the BJK Cup 2023 finals will play the tournament in Seville. The stadium which will hold the matches is Estadio de La Cartuja, giving the Spanish team a significant morale boost, as locals will cheer passionately for them. 

Which players will partake in the 2023 Billie Jean King cup?

The Billie Jean King Cup 2023 finals features powerhouse countries with some of the tournament's most exciting squads. Madison Keys, Caroline Garcia, Belinda Bencic, and Elena Rybakina will play in the championship. Joining them will be the Wimbledon Champion, Marketa Vondroušová, the US Open champion, Coco Gauff and the French Open champion, Iga Swiatek.

Swiatek experienced a minor slump during the American hard court season but is back on form after her China Open win. Gauff had a poor start to the year but is now in the form of her life after winning her first WTA 1000 title followed by the US Open title. The tournament certainly becomes a spectacle for them, and they will be joined by many more players on the WTA Tour to make the competition worthwhile for the fans. 

How to watch the Billie Jean King Cup 2023?

The Billie Jean King Cup can be watched by fans worldwide through various means. Fans who want to witness the action unfold live can go to the stadium. The price of tickets vary depending on the court. For the group stages, court one tickets will range from $15.9 to $18 and for the Centre Court, it ranges from $16 all the way up to $233.

Fans can buy the tickets from the Billie Jean King Cup's official website. The semifinal tickets start at $23 and go all the way up to $286. Ticket prices for the finals are the same and can be purchased from the BJK Cup website.

If tennis fans cannot travel but want to follow the tournament, they can tune into various channels to watch the matches. Fans in Australia, Africa and the Middle Eastern Countries can follow the tournament on beIN Sports. Tennis Channel will stream the tournament in Greece, Cyprus, India, Puerto Rico and the Northern Marina Islands.

BJK Cup is one of the few tournaments played between countries and has a special format. With countries being the main focus of the BJK Cup, national pride is at stake for all the players.

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