Billie Jean King Cup Finals squads: Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff out due to WTA Finals schedule
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and world No. 6 Coco Gauff are out of Poland and the United States’ respective squads for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which will take place from November 13-20 November in Malaga, Spain.
The 12 teams in the event announced their line-ups on Monday, with U.S. Open finalist Jessica Pegula leading Team USA. Emma Navarro, a semifinalist in that tournament and current world No. 8, is also out of the American squad. The year-end WTA Finals, which will take place between November 2 and 9 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, create a tight schedule for the top eight women’s players who qualify.
In a 2023 Instagram post announcing her decision to skip the BJK Cup, Swiatek described having to travel from Cancun, Mexico to Glasgow, Scotland in a 12-hour window as “not safe for our health.” She won that year’s WTA Finals, thrashing Pegula in the final.
Swiatek is already qualified for this year’s event in Saudi Arabia with Gauff in the frame to join her, alongside Navarro — if her strong season continues. Even Pegula, who rose to No. 5 in the ranking points ‘race’ to the event by reaching the final in New York, could be in contention to play in Riyadh. Her qualification could also see her withdraw from the BJK Cup.
Barbora Krejcikova, the Wimbledon champion, will not represent the Czech Republic. Krejcikova is eligible for a place in Saudi Arabia thanks to her winning the third major of the year, even if she does not finish inside the top eight players by ranking points accrued in 2024.
Four-time major winner and former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka headlines Japan’s squad, with 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu representing Canada alongside 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez. Emma Raducanu, who beat Fernandez to win that U.S. Open title, will play for Great Britain, while two-time Grand Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini will represent Italy alongside Sara Errani, fresh from the pair winning the Paris 2024 Olympic gold in women’s doubles. Another U.S. Open semifinalist, Karolina Muchova, will represent the Czech Republic.
Former world No. 2 and resurgent Paula Badosa leads Spain’s team, Olympic semifinalist Anna Karolina Schmiedlova will play for Slovakia, Magdalena Fręch will represent Poland —fresh off her first WTA Tour title in Guadalajara — Mexico and Olivia Gadecki, beaten finalist there, will play for Australia.
