Japan and the United States have secured the final two of the eight places in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, scheduled for September. Both teams achieved 2-1 victories in their respective qualifying group matches on Saturday, with Japan triumphing over Canada and the U.S. defeating Slovakia.
In Tokyo, Japan, competing in Group A, initially fell behind against Canada, the 2023 champions. Victoria Mboko, an 18-year-old player from Canada, won a thrilling opening singles match against Ena Shibahara. Mboko needed six match points to finally secure a 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-5 victory in a match that lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes.
However, Moyuka Uchijima evened the score for Japan by defeating Marina Stakusic 6-3, 6-3 in the second singles match. The decisive doubles match saw Shibahara team up with her former long-time partner Shuko Aoyama. Together, they clinched a hard-fought 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win against the Canadian duo of Kayla Cross and Rebecca Marino. This victory secured Japan`s place in the Finals for the second consecutive year.
Japanese team captain Ai Sugiyama commented, “This isn`t the end. We`re really excited to go to Shenzhen. It feels fantastic. The first match didn`t go our way, but Moyuka played exceptionally well in the second. The doubles match was very close, but we fought hard for every point. We pulled through, and it was an incredible day.”
Simultaneously in Bratislava, the United States team, playing away, defeated Slovakia for the first time in their Billie Jean King Cup history. Previously, the U.S. had lost to Slovakia at the Finals in both 2021 and 2024. Hailey Baptiste and Bernarda Pera, both recent additions to captain Lindsay Davenport`s team just before the Qualifiers, maintained a perfect 4-0 record for the weekend. They secured straight-set victories against Renata Jamrichova and Rebecca Sramkova.
Davenport praised her team after the match, stating, “They were fantastic all week, even in practice. We felt confident in our momentum, our team chemistry, and the players we had here. It was especially impressive to see Hailey and Bernarda step up, particularly Bernarda, facing a higher-ranked opponent in this environment and how she composed herself in crucial moments. I am extremely proud.”
Baptiste secured a straightforward 6-3, 6-4 victory against 17-year-old Jamrichova, who was the junior World No. 1 in 2024. Pera then clinched the U.S.`s place in Shenzhen by defeating World No. 37 Rebecca Sramkova 7-6(2), 7-5, despite being ranked nearly 40 places lower in the WTA rankings.
Pera, ranked No. 76 globally, initially lost a 5-3, 0-30 lead in the first set but managed to break Sramkova`s serve. Sramkova had been instrumental in Slovakia`s journey to their first Billie Jean King Cup Finals last fall. Pera`s break forced a tiebreak in the first set, which she dominated. In the second set, the 30-year-old left-hander recovered from a 4-0 and 5-2 deficit, never facing a set point, to ultimately secure the win.
Pera expressed her excitement after the match, “Oh my god, it feels incredible! Who would have thought? Just on Monday, I was practicing on clay, preparing to play in Rouen, when I received a call from Lindsay asking if I could come here. I was so nervous coming here, as it`s my first time on the team. I`m incredibly happy and thrilled to get the win.”
She added, “Honestly, I`m overwhelmed with emotions. I`m so happy. I just told Lindsay that this has been one of the best weeks ever. I’ve had so much fun with the team. The girls are amazing, and I`ve received so much support from all of them. I`m so, so happy to have experienced this. The whole team was just fantastic.”
The 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals are scheduled to take place from September 16-21. The participating teams will include hosts China, defending champions Italy, and qualified nations Great Britain, Japan, Kazakhstan, Spain, Ukraine, and the United States.
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth