Billie Jean King Cup 2026: “We have a lot of belief in ourselves” – Katie Boulter & Harriet Dart look ahead to the Finals
• 3 minute read
The Lexus Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team have touched down in Shenzhen and are gearing up for a tough challenge against Czechia in the quarter-finals.
The Brits have made the semi-finals of the women’s World Cup of tennis in three of the last four seasons and have risen to No.2 in the national rankings.
As they prepare to face a Czechia team that boasts the reigning Wimbledon champion and runner-up, Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova, as well as a multiple major doubles title-winner, Katerina Siniakova, Britain’s Katie Boulter has taken the opportunity to reflect on how far the team has come since making her debut in 2019.
“It’s something I was discussing with one of the members of staff who has been here for a long time – we’ve come a long way,” Boulter said.
“When I started in this competition, we were in Euro / Africa Zone, it was a very different feel.
"It shows the consistency we’ve had as a team over many years. I think back to my debut when we were in Bath – I think we’ve come a long way.
“The fact that we’ve stayed out of that group for a long time has been great, and now we want to push on. We’ve made three semi-finals, but we want to reach the final; we want to win the tournament. I think that’s our goal here. A tough start, but you have to beat everyone to win the tournament.”
One of the defining factors in Britain’s success over recent years has been how the players have raised their game when playing for their country.
The squad relishes the opportunity to come into a tie as underdogs and take the game to their opponents.
Their away victory over Australia in the Qualifiers back in April was a testament to that. Harriet Dart led the team to a 3-1 win over the Aussies in Melbourne to book their place in the Finals.
The Australian team had the ranking advantage in all four matches played, but Dart, debutant Mika Stojsavljevic and Jodie Burrage all clinched crucial wins Down Under.
“The Australia trip was incredibly fun,” Dart said ahead of the Finals in China. “To be able to get the win in an away tie, my first time playing in a while, to play singles. Whenever I get the call-up, I always go.
“It’s super exciting to have qualified for the Finals, it’s a major result for us as a team. We were massive underdogs there and we are here, but we’ve proven time and time again that we can compete here.”
While she was unable to be part of the team for Australia, Boulter was watching on in admiration as Anne Keothavong’s side secured a famous win at Melbourne Park.
“I was genuinely very proud of the girls who were out there,” she said. “It’s not easy to go across the entire world and to be an underdog team and come away with the win.
“It was extremely impressive and I took a lot of inspiration from that. That’s why I’m excited to be here and get started.”
The team will be looking to channel that underdog spirit when they face Czechia in the quarter-finals on Tuesday 22 September.
On paper, it’s arguably the hardest tie the Brits could have drawn in Shenzhen, but the team are feeling well-prepared, confident and excited for the challenge ahead.
“If you want to win the tournament you have to beat the best and we have them in the first round,” Boulter said.
“I know how much depth they have in their team, the strength they have. Every single one of their players can play singles and doubles. It’s not a simple play for them – they can put anyone out there.
“As the girls showed in Australia, we love to be underdogs; we have nothing to lose. We go out there and we take it to them.”
Dart added, “We have a very good team and anything can happen in this format. It’s one tie, anyone can have a good or bad day. I think it’s important to remember that.
“We have a lot of belief in ourselves and all the pressure is on them, so we can have a free swing at it and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Why not us – hopefully it’s our year.”
Boulter and Dart will be joined by GB teammates Stojsavljevic, Burrage and Sonay Kartal for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals from 22-26 September.
You can watch GB vs Czechia in the Billie Jean King Cup quarter-finals from 10:00 UK time on 22 September live on BBC iPlayer and across BBC digital services.
