Team cups
How the Billie Jean King Cup works
The ITF’s women’s team championship. Nations play home-or-away ties, and eight of them meet for a week at one site.
The ladder
A record 148 nations entered in 2026. The Qualifiers are one round of seven home-or-away ties. The seven winners go to the Finals with the host nation. The seven losers go to the Play-offs, where they meet seven nations that came through the regional groups.
Below that, nations play in regional groups. Group I is the highest of those divisions. Groups are split by zone: Africa, the Americas, Asia/Oceania, and Europe. At Group I and Group II, Europe and Africa are combined.
How a tie is won
A Qualifiers or Play-offs tie lasts two days. Two singles matches are played on the first day. Doubles is first on the second day, then the reverse singles. The first nation to win three matches takes the tie. The host picks the surface. Matches are best of three sets, with a tie-break and advantage scoring.
The Finals are different. Eight nations play a knockout in one city over six days: quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final. Each tie is one day, two singles then a doubles, and the first nation to win two matches is through. The 2026 Finals were in Shenzhen.
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