ITF Press Release, March 12, 2026

Jasmine Paolini will lead defending world champions Italy at the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers (10-11 April), where 14 nations will battle for a place in the Finals in Shenzhen (22-27 September).

Elina Svitolina (Ukraine) and Victoria Mboko (Canada) are among the other star players set to represent their countries next month, with the chance to play for the coveted Billie Jean King Cup trophy at stake in September. Paolini leads the Italian team bidding to win a third consecutive BJK Cup title for the first time. The two-time Grand Slam finalist and Olympic doubles champion inspired the Italians to title triumphs in Malaga in 2024 and Shenzhen in 2025.

Other stars named in their nations’ squads for the Qualifiers include Bianca Andreescu (Canada), Belinda Bencic (Switzerland), Iva Jovic (USA) and Linda Noskova (Czechia). Teams can make up to three changes to their squads until one day prior to the event start date.

A record 148 nations entered the competition this year, and 54 nations will compete across the Qualifiers and four Regional Group Events in a bumper week of action beginning on 6 April.

The seven winning nations from the Qualifiers will advance to the Finals in Shenzhen, where they will compete alongside host nation China, P.R.

Teams who lose in the Qualifiers will compete in the 2026 Play-offs in November, alongside the seven best-performing nations from the three Regional Group I events. The seven winners from the Play-offs will advance to the 2027 Qualifiers.

Beginning this year, each Qualifier tie will consist of two singles matches on day one, with the doubles match followed by two reverse singles matches on day two. This marks the first time in the competition’s history that live doubles matches will be guaranteed and further aligns the competition’s format with the Davis Cup. All live matches in the Qualifiers will be played as best-of-three tiebreak sets.

The players competing for their nations at the four regional group events taking place next month have also been announced this week, with Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil), Eva Lys (Germany), Antonia Ruzic (Croatia), Maria Sakkari (Greece), Zeynep Sonmez (Turkiye) and Janice Tjen (Indonesia) among those set to represent their nations.

Click here to view the team nominations at each event:
• Americas Group I (Club Deportivo de Ibagué, Ibagué, Colombia)
• Asia/Oceania Group I (DLTA Stadium, New Delhi, India)
• Europe/Africa Group I (Complexo de Tenis do Jamor, Oeiras, Portugal)
• Europe/Africa Group II (Tennis Association of Republika Srpska, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Team nominations for 2026 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers

Italy v Japan
Venue: ASD Colle degli Dei, Velletri (clay, outdoors)
Head-to-head: Italy lead 1-0
Italy
Jasmine Paolini
Elisabetta Cocciaretto
Lucia Bronzetti
Tyra Caterina Grant
Sara Errani
Captain: Tathiana Garbin
Japan
Moyuka Uchijima
Himeno Sakatsume
Nao Hibino
Eri Hozumi
Shuko Aoyama
Captain: Ai Sugiyama

Belgium v USA
Venue: Coretec Dome, Ostend (clay, indoors)
Head-to-head: USA lead 6-2
Belgium
Elise Mertens
Hanne Vandewinkel
Sofia Costoulas
Greet Minnen
Magali Kempen
Captain: Wim Fissette
USA
Iva Jovic
Hailey Baptiste
McCartney Kessler
Nicole Melichar-Martinez
Captain: Lindsay Davenport

Australia v Great Britain
Venue: John Cain Arena, Melbourne (hard, outdoors)
Head-to-head: Australia lead 8-3
Australia
Maya Joint
Kimberly Birrell
Talia Gibson
Storm Hunter
Ellen Perez
Captain: Samantha Stosur
Great Britain
Sonay Kartal
Harriet Dart
Mika Stojsavljevic
Jodie Burrage
Captain: Anne Keothavong

Kazakhstan v Canada
Venue: Beeline Arena, Astana (clay, indoors)
Head-to-head: Canada lead 1-0
Kazakhstan
Yulia Putintseva
Zhibek Kulambayeva
Aruzhan Sagandykova
Sonja Zhiyenbayeva
Anna Danilina
Captain: Yuriy Shchukin
Canada
Victoria Mboko
Marina Stakusic
Bianca Andreescu
Kayla Cross
Gabriela Dabrowski
Captain: Marie-Eve Pelletier

Slovenia v Spain
Venue: Tennis Center Portoroz, Portoroz (clay, outdoors)
Head-to-head: First Billie Jean King Cup meeting
Slovenia
Kaja Juvan
Veronika Erjavec
Tamara Zidansek
Dalila Jakupovic
Nika Radisic
Captain: Masa Zec Peskiric
Spain
Cristina Bucsa
Kaitlin Quevedo
Leyre Romero Gormaz
Guiomar Maristany Zuleta de Reales
Sara Sorribes Tormo
Captain: Carla Suarez Navarro

Switzerland v Czechia
Venue: Swiss Tennis Arena, Biel (hard, indoors)
Head-to-head: Czechia lead 8-3
Switzerland
Belinda Bencic
Viktorija Golubic
Rebeka Masarova
Celine Naef
Captain: Heinz Guenthardt
Czechia
Linda Noskova
Marie Bouzkova
Sara Bejlek
Tereza Valentova
Captain: Barbora Strycova

Poland v Ukraine
Venue: PreZero Arena, Gliwice (clay, indoors)
Head-to-head: Ukraine lead 2-1
Poland
Magda Linette
Maja Chwalinska
Linda Klimovicova
Katarzyna Kawa
Captain: Dawid Celt
Ukraine
Elina Svitolina
Marta Kostyuk
Oleksandra Oliynykova
Lyudmyla Kichenok
Nadiia Kichenok
Captain: Illya Marchenko