Billie Jean King Cup 2023: Italy Aims for Historic Three-Peat

The world title in women’s team tennis is back on the line, and this time the spotlight falls on Shenzhen.

From Sept. 22-27, the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre Arena becomes the center of the Billie Jean King Cup universe, where a record field of 148 nations has been whittled down to eight heavyweights: Italy, Great Britain, Ukraine, Spain, Czechia, Kazakhstan, Belgium and China. One week. One court. One world champion.

Italy chase a rare three‑peat

All roads, inevitably, run through Italy.

The two-time defending champions arrive with the swagger of a team that knows exactly how to win this competition and the history they are chasing. Led by Jasmine Paolini and veteran Sara Errani — the pair who climbed to the top of the podium with Olympic gold in women’s doubles at Paris 2024 — Italy are hunting a third straight Billie Jean King Cup crown.

No nation has managed that since Czechia’s dominant run from 2014 to 2016. That’s the bar. Italy want to clear it.

The path, though, is brutal. Their first assignment is a quarterfinal against host nation China, a tie loaded with storylines and pressure.

Host nation leans on Olympic champion

China have the crowd, the momentum and a star of their own.

Zheng Qinwen, the Olympic women’s singles champion, fronts a Chinese team that looks built for big occasions. She arrives in Shenzhen on the back of a remarkable U.S. Open run, where she surged from the qualifying draw all the way to the quarterfinals. That kind of form travels.

Alongside Zheng, captain Jie Zheng can call on experienced campaigner Shuai Zhang and a deep supporting cast in Xiyu Wang, Hanyu Guo and Xinyu Jiang. For Italy, that means no easing into the tournament. Their title defense starts at full speed on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 5 a.m. ET.

A star missing, but the field is loaded

Kazakhstan were supposed to unveil a new era with Elena Rybakina as World No. 1 leading the line. Instead, the newly crowned top-ranked player will watch from the sidelines.

Rybakina has withdrawn with the Achilles tendon injury she carried through her U.S. Open title run, a blow not only to Kazakhstan’s hopes but to the spectacle of the week. She is not the only giant missing. Team USA, a traditional powerhouse in this competition, failed to make it out of April’s qualifiers.

The absences strip away some familiar storylines, yet they don’t thin the quality. Far from it.

Czechia roll into Shenzhen with World No. 6 Linda Noskova and No. 8 Karolina Muchova, both capable of ripping through any draw. Ukraine arrive with No. 7 Elina Svitolina, the heartbeat of a squad that has grown used to playing with a sense of purpose that goes beyond tennis.

The field may look different. It does not look weaker.

The road to the title

The format is simple, unforgiving and tailor-made for drama.

Each tie in the Finals begins with two singles matches. If one nation sweeps those, the job is done. If the teams split them, everything comes down to a decisive doubles rubber. First to two wins moves on. Every match is best-of-three sets, Grand Slam style, with no room for slow starts or off days.

The quarterfinal slate at Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre Arena:

• Tuesday, Sept. 22: Great Britain vs Czechia | 5 a.m. ET
• Wednesday, Sept. 23: Spain vs Kazakhstan | 5 a.m. ET
• Wednesday, Sept. 23: Ukraine vs Belgium | 10 p.m. ET
• Thursday, Sept. 24: China vs Italy | 5 a.m. ET

From there, the bracket tightens:

• Friday, Sept. 25: Winner of Match A vs Winner of Match D | 5 a.m. ET
• Saturday, Sept. 26: Winner of Match B vs Winner of Match C | 5 a.m. ET
• Sunday, Sept. 27: Championship match | 5 a.m. ET

Every ball struck in Shenzhen will be streamed on billiejeankingcup.com and via the World Cup of Tennis app, bringing an early-morning start for fans in North America and a prime-time stage for Asia.

Who brings the depth?

In team tennis, star power matters, but depth often decides the trophy.

Czechia might boast the most balanced roster in the field. Captain Barbora Strycova has Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova at the top, with Marie Bouzkova, Katerina Siniakova and Sara Bejlek offering a mix of singles grit and doubles pedigree. On paper, they are built to survive long weeks and tight doubles deciders.

Ukraine, captained by Illya Marchenko, lean on Elina Svitolina and Anhelina Kalinina in singles, with Katarina Zavatska and doubles specialist Lyudmyla Kichenok ready if ties go the distance. They will have to manage without Marta Kostyuk, who withdrew with a wrist injury, but this is a group that rarely folds when the stakes rise.

Great Britain’s Anne Keothavong turns to Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart, supported by Sonay Kartal, Mika Stojsavljevic and Jodie Burrage. They open against Czechia in a tie that could set the tone for the entire week.

Spain, under Carla Suarez Navarro, present a gritty, versatile lineup: Cristina Bucsa, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, Kaitlin Quevedo, Marina Bassols Ribera and Sara Sorribes Tormo, a player tailor-made for team competitions with her relentless baseline game and emotional energy.

Kazakhstan, without Rybakina, rally around Yulia Putintseva’s fire and experience, with Anna Danilina, Zhibek Kulambayeva and Sonja Zhiyenbayeva tasked with filling the void.

Belgium’s Wim Fissette brings a squad of fighters in Hanne Vandewinkel, Greet Minnen, Jana Otzipka, Magali Kempen and Lara Salden, though they must cope without Jeline Vandromme, who has withdrawn.

And then there is Italy: captain Tathiana Garbin with Jasmine Paolini, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Lucia Bronzetti, Sara Errani and Tyra Grant — a blend of proven champions and rising talent, all accustomed to the weight of expectation.

A world title, and something more

This is the Billie Jean King Cup at full stretch: eight nations, a packed schedule, and a trophy that carries as much prestige as pressure.

Italy are chasing history. China are chasing a home coronation. Czechia and Ukraine bring top-10 firepower. Spain, Great Britain, Kazakhstan and Belgium lurk, ready to turn one good week into a national landmark.

In Shenzhen, the world champion of women’s team tennis will be crowned again. The only question left is whose flag will be raised when the last ball lands.