The Billie Jean King Cup is the women’s counterpart to the Davis Cup, an international team competition that brings together the best players from around the world to represent their countries. Originally founded in 1963 as the Federation Cup to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the competition was renamed in 2020 to honor Billie Jean King and her lifelong advocacy for gender equity in sports. Over the decades, the event has showcased some of the greatest moments in women’s tennis, giving players the chance to compete not just for themselves, but for national pride.
I am embarrassed to admit that I recently failed to note the Billie Jean King Cup on the calendar that I publish each week on this blog. That omission is telling. Unlike the Davis Cup, which carries an official partnership with the ATP, the Billie Jean King Cup operates entirely outside of the WTA Tour structure. That lack of alignment means that the WTA itself doesn’t mention it or promote it through its own channels. As a result, even someone as immersed in tennis as I am can overlook the fact that it’s happening. That is exactly what happened to me this year, and I only realized it was going on as scores began rolling in.
Unfortunately, my concerns don’t stop there. I believe the current format of the Billie Jean King Cup is a disservice to women’s tennis. Each tie consists of just two singles matches, followed—if necessary—by a doubles match. Because the doubles rubber is only played if the singles results are split, it often disappears entirely. During the BJK Cup Finals last week, only a handful of doubles matches were contested. For a sport that is dominated by doubles play at the recreational level, that feels both wrong and shortsighted. Doubles deserves to be elevated, not sidelined.
The abbreviated format also creates fewer matches overall, which can sap the competition of drama. It is a common pattern for one of the two singles rubbers to be competitive while the other turns into a lopsided affair. When the second match is not close, the outcome feels predetermined, and fans tune out. Without the reverse singles, there are simply fewer opportunities for pivotal swings or dramatic comebacks to unfold. All too often, a tie is effectively over within the first couple of hours of play, leaving the event feeling anticlimactic.
Another drawback of the current structure is the elimination of dead rubbers. At the Finals this past weekend, once a tie had been decided, matches that no longer affected the outcome were almost never played. That approach denies younger players the chance to gain valuable Billie Jean King Cup experience in addition to cheating doubles specialists out of the opportunities to showcase their craft. In a competition that should be highlighting the full breadth of women’s tennis, the lack of meaningful match play feels inequitable.
It is admittedly convenient, and perhaps financially necessary, to stage the Finals at a single site. Having all the teams in one location does make the event feel like a festival of tennis. However, once China was eliminated this year, the shift in the atmosphere was palpable. Much of the remaining crowd energy was clearly manufactured. One of the great strengths of international cup play has always been the raucous home crowds, willing their teams toward victory. That unique brand of national passion is what gives these events their spark, and women’s tennis is missing out on the hallmark of the point of cup play in the first place.
For the Billie Jean King Cup to fulfill its promise, the format has to evolve. Making doubles a permanent fixture of every tie would not only honor the role the discipline plays in the sport but also ensure more matches, more drama, and more chances for players to shine. Reviving dead rubbers, embracing the energy of proper home-and-away ties, and creating conditions where fans can rally behind their national teams would restore the passion and unpredictability that make international competitions special. Returning the event format more closely to the Davis Cup structure would be a step toward equity—and toward giving women’s tennis the stage it deserves.
