Every team’s top ranked player at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals
We're itching closer and closer to the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow from 8-13 November - as the world's biggest stars head to Scotland to compete in the women's World Cup of tennis. Check out who the best ranked players for each nation will be at this year's Finals.
Group A
Switzerland – Belinda Bencic (world No.14)
2022 has been yet another strong year for the Swiss No.1. Off the back of leading her country to the runners-up spot at last year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals, Belinda Bencic has reached her peak at some of the biggest events this season – including a semi-final runs at the Miami Open and Tallinn Open, as well as the runner-up spot in Berlin. She won her fifth career WTA title on the clay in Charleston back in April, defeating the second, fourth and nineth seeds to lift the trophy.
Canada – Leylah Fernandez (world No.41)
A familiar face for many British fans as Emma Raducanu’s opponent in her famous US Open final victory, the young Canadian has continued to push on in 2022. She reached a career-high ranking at world No.13 earlier in the season having successfully defended her title in Monterrey and eventually went on to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open. Fernandez was in impressive form for Canada’s qualifying match against Latvia in March – defeating both Darja Semenistaja and Daniela Vismane to the loss of just six games.
Italy – Martina Trevisan (world No.28)
Since the end of last year, Martina Trevisan has risen 87 places in the rankings to be leading Italy at the Finals in Glasgow. The 28-year-old has enjoyed particular success on the clay this season, not only lifting the title at the WTA 250 Rabat, but going on to reach the semi-finals at Roland Garross for the first time. While recent results have been more mixed Trevisan will no doubt be looking to channel that energy into her performances at the Emirates Arena.
Group B
Australia – Ajla Tomljanovic (world No.34)
After a slightly slower start to the season, Ajla Tomljanovic really hit her form in the summer, starting wth a quarter-final appearance at the Rothesay Open Nottingham. This would be a sign of things to come as the Aussie knocked out 18th seed Jil Teichmann and 13th seed Barbora Krecikova en route to her first Wimbledon quarter-final. Fast-forward to the hard court season and she battled her way through qualifying to progress to the quarter-finals at the Western & Southern Open, before once again dazzling to make another major quarter-final run at the US Open, where she defeated Serena Williams in her final match.
Slovakia – Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (world No.104)
The former world No.26 has had some strong results in WTA 125 events this year. She made the semi-finals in Makarska, as well as quarter-finals in Nordea, Marbella and Budapest. Her best result of 2022 came back in February in Guadalajara where she knocked out fifth seed Nuria Parrizas Diaz before going out in the quarter-finals.
Belgium – Elise Mertens (world No.36)
Fighting a battle on both sides, not only does Elise Mertens rank inside the singles top 40 but she’s also the world No.3 in doubles. On the singles court it has been another impressive season for Mertens, who reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, and the Belgian head to the Finals in good form after beating Alize Cornet to the title in Monastir in early October. On the doubles side, she’s won the title in Dubai and finished runner-up at Wimbledon, Qatar, Miami, S’Hertogenbosch and Birmingham.
Group C
Spain – Paula Badosa (world No.8)
Spanish No.1 Paula Badosa has been at the top of the game for the last two years having broken into the top 10 in 2021 and then reaching a career-high world No.2 in April 2022. A three-time WTA Tour title champion – in Indian Wells, Belgrade and Sydney – Badosa has reached the latter stages of several big events in the last 12 months, including Miami, Stuttgart and San Jose.
Kazakhstan – Elena Rybakina (world No.24)
The 23-year-old won the women’s singles title at Wimbledon in July – overthrowing a one set deficit to beat world No.2 Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Kazakhstan’s biggest star hasn’t shown any signs of letting up since – she reached the quarter-finals at the WTA 1000 in Cincinnati and has since progressed to the semi-finals in Ostrava as well as finishing runner-up in Portoroz.
Great Britain – Emma Raducanu (world No.70)
What a way to make your Billie Jean King Cup Finals debut, in front of your home crowd in Glasgow – that’s the fate that awaits British No.1 Emma Raducanu. The 19-year-old re-wrote the history books last year in becoming the first qualifier to win a major and the first British women to do so in 44 years. Since, Raducanu has had strong spells in Stuttgart, Washington and most recently at the Hana Bank Korea Open, where she reached the semi-finals. Having been out of action for a couple of weeks, Raducanu will be eager to make a bounce back to form in front of the British fans.
Group D
Czech Republic – Barbora Krejcikova (world No.14)
Former world No.2, Barbora Krejcikova is one of the biggest names on the bill at the Emirates Arena. The 2021 French Open singles champion heads to Scotland in inspired form, having won back-to-back titles at the Tallin Open and Agel Open – going on a 10-match unbeaten run that has seen her defeat world No.1 Iga Swiatek, world No.3 Anett Kontaveit and Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic along the way. The Czech star is also a dynamite on the doubles court as well – as the world No.2, Krejcikova is a six-time women’s doubles Grand Slam champion and has won three of the four slams in 2022 with Katerina Siniakova.
USA – Jessica Pegula (world No.5)
One of the highest ranked players in the competition, Jessica Pegula is enjoying a season that has seen her reach the quarter-finals at three Grand Slams. Pegula is a force to be reckoned with in the biggest events this season, achieving multiple WTA 1000 semi-finals in Miami and Canada, as well as a runner-up spot in Madrid to Ons Jabeur. The 28-year-old was instrumental in the USA’s qualifying victory against Ukraine earlier this year, with two straight sets wins over Katarina Zavatska and Dayana Yastremska.
Poland – Magda Linette (world No.57)
A former WTA champion in Hua Hin back in 2020, Poland’s Magda Linette has been a tricky customer on the tour this season, claiming scalps over the likes of Ons Jabeur, Leylah Fernandez and Elise Mertens to name but a few. But her biggest wins have been on the doubles tour this season, winning two titles – the first coming in Charleston as the biggest trophy of her career, which she then backed up at the Rothesay International Eastbourne with Aleksandra Krunic.