Coco Gauff and Madison Keys Express Pride as Team USA’s 19th BJK Cup Dream Inches Closer to Reality

The thrill of representing one’s nation is a powerful motivator, as Coco Gauff eloquently stated last year, describing the “goosebumps” she felt as the first American tennis flag bearer at the Paris Olympics. This same passion propelled her and Taylor Fritz to victory at the United Cup earlier this year, securing Team USA’s second title in three years. It’s with a touch of irony, then, that Gauff finds herself absent from Team USA’s Billie Jean King Cup squad this time around. Adding to this, Madison Keys, still feeling the effects of her Charleston Open run, has also pulled out. Despite their physical absence, however, their support for the team remains evident.

Team USA seized an early lead on Saturday as Hailey Baptiste dominated Denmark’s Rebecca Munk Mortensen 6-1, 6-4. Bernarda Pera, a key member of this week’s less familiar American lineup, then maintained the momentum with a decisive 6-3, 6-1 victory over Johanne Svendsen. The clean sweep was completed in the doubles, where Desirae Krawczyk and Asia Muhammad powered past Laura Brunkel and Emilie Francati 6-4, 6-1, securing a resounding 3-0 triumph for America over Denmark.

On Sunday, Team USA overcame the Slovakia hurdle to secure a place in the 2025 Finals. This victory was hard-earned in Bratislava on Sunday, with Hailey Baptiste delivering a confident 6-3, 6-4 win, followed by Bernarda Pera’s resilient 7-6(2), 7-5 comeback against Rebecca Sramkova, ultimately clinching Qualifying Group C with a 2-1 victory over Slovakia. “Obviously it’s a pretty big win, starting the team off strong,” Baptiste said.

Gauff took to Instagram, reposting a celebratory post from the official BJK Cup page that read, “🔥 🇺🇲 Bernarda Pera books Team USA’s place in Shenzhen with a stunning 7-6(2) 7-5 victory over Rebecca Sramkova of Slovakia! 💪” Meanwhile, Keys re-shared the same post on her social media, adding a simple but powerful “💪🏽🇺🇸” to express her pride. The patriotic vibes didn’t stop there.

Fellow American Taylor Townsend chimed in with her own IG story, referencing last year’s heartbreaking loss to Slovakia during a third-set doubles tiebreak, with the caption, “Sweet revenge 💪🏽👑.” Jessica Pegula also joined the celebration, giving a special shout-out to Pera after reposting a thrilling highlight shared by the BJK Cup page. Her caption read, “@bernardapera let’s goo!!!” followed by another story that read, “Let’s gooo 🇺🇸,” perfectly capturing the electric mood among American tennis stars.

“Just so, so happy for this group. It wasn’t easy coming into this tie and eventually I was left with players that really wanted to be here and really wanted to play for your country,” U.S. Captain Lindsay Davenport said, referring to withdrawals by Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins.

“We had a feeling like we had the right momentum, had the right confidence. Had the right chemistry with the ladies that were here, but to see both Hailey and Bernarda rise to the occasion, especially Bernarda, playing a player ranked higher in this kind of environment and how she was just able to settle down in the big moments, I was really, really proud.”

Team USA will now join Italy, China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Spain, Great Britain, and Japan at the Finals in Shenzhen, China, scheduled from September 16-21. With the momentum riding high, the squad will look to reclaim their title on the global stage.

On a separate note, Coco Gauff’s season hasn’t met expectations, drawing critical comments from legendary coach Rick Macci.

Rick Macci thinks Coco Gauff’s individual season “might get worse” if…

Coco Gauff’s 2025 season began on a high note with a strong showing at the United Cup, helping Team USA clinch the title in January at Sydney. However, that early spark soon dimmed. After a QF finish at the AO, where she was ousted by Paula Badosa, Gauff struggled to find consistency. Disappointing losses to Marta Kostyuk in Doha and McCartney Kessler in Dubai signaled a downward trend.

The now fourth seed’s return to the US swing didn’t help either, with surprising early exits at Indian Wells to Belinda Bencic and in Miami to Magda Linette. The string of setbacks has seen the 20-year-old American drop 4th, ceding her position as the country’s top-ranked player to Jessica Pegula. 

Seeing this trend, reminiscent of Gauff’s first half of 2024 season, legendary coach Rick Macci, known for mentoring Serena Williams, has weighed in on Gauff’s struggles. Taking to his X, he suggested that her technical flaws, particularly in the forehand, “Might get worse before better unless a science based approach is used to rewire.” Still, Macci remains optimistic about Gauff’s potential.

In March, he offered both critique and a positive outlook, writing, “Coco has untapped potential and can get to number one and most of all stay there. If second serve becomes an asset and forehand become her best shot, her first serve SOMEDAY can hit 130 mph as she continues to tweak. Make up speed is as good as the sport has ever seen,” on X.

Looking ahead, the former 3rd seed will begin her European clay-court campaign in Stuttgart, facing the winner of Tatjana Maria vs. Ella Seidel. A potential QF clash with Jasmine Paolini and a SF showdown with Aryna Sabalenka await. Will German soil be where Gauff rediscovers her rhythm and sparks a much-needed resurgence?