Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup changing formats in 2025

LONDON (AP) — The Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup competitions are both changing their formats next year.

The International Tennis Federation announced the changes Friday, with the Billie Jean King Cup Finals transitioning from 12 teams to an eight-team event to mirror the existing Davis Cup Finals format. The ITF said the change is "part of a long-term strategy to bring the World Cup of Tennis events closer together."

That means that next year's Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers will feature seven groups of three teams each, with the group winners joining a host nation in the 2025 Finals.

Meanwhile, the September stage of the Davis Cup will change from having a six-day group-stage competition to featuring seven home-or-away series played over two days.

The seven winning teams will join a host nation in the Finals in November. The Billie Jean King Cup will also feature home-or-away matches in the qualifiers starting in 2026.

"In Billie Jean King Cup, the move to an eight-team Finals aligns with the Davis Cup Final 8 format which has proven to be such a success," ITF President David Haggerty said.

"Moving the Davis Cup September stage from six-day group stage events to two-day home-or-away ties will ease players' schedules immediately following the U.S. Open, while maintaining the intensity of the competition that they all love."

Bidding processes for the hosts of next year's Finals are underway. This year's tournaments will both take place in Malaga, Spain.

"Creating the best competition format is a key part of our long-term strategy for the Billie Jean King Cup and follows consultation with players, fans, partners and broadcasters," said Ilana Kloss, chair of Billie Jean King Cup Ltd. "An eight-team event over six days will be hugely beneficial to player health and the global fan experience. It's a win-win for everyone."

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis