Iga Swiatek missing again as Billie Jean King Cup Finals squads announced
Iga Swiatek is absent from Poland’s Billie Jean King (BJK) Cup Finals squad for a third consecutive year, with the event coming just a week after the WTA Finals.
Swiatek is one of two players to confirm their qualification for the WTA Finals so far, alongside Aryna Sabalenka, having done so for a fourth successive year.
🏆 5 titles this season
🔜 4th WTA Finals appearanceWorld No.1 @iga_swiatek is first in the PIF Race to the WTA Finals to officially qualify for the #WTAFinalsRiyadh! pic.twitter.com/RMCuSPK48O
— wta (@WTA) August 7, 2024
This year the WTA Finals are in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the tournament being held between 2nd-9th November.
And just four days later, Poland take on Spain in their first round tie at the BJK Cup Finals in Malaga, Spain.
Swiatek helped her nation qualify for the Finals back in April, when they emphatically beat Switzerland in Biel, but is not part of the Poland squad that was announced yesterday.
The Polish team instead comprises of Magdalena Frech, Magda Linette, Maja Chwalińska and Katarzyna Kawa.
Team Poland is locked in 🔒🇵🇱#BJKCup┃@GainbridgeSport pic.twitter.com/smS2y2IIp4
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) September 16, 2024
Despite Swiatek’s absence, the BJK Cup Finals still features some star names in the form of Naomi Osaka, Jasmine Paolini, Emma Raducanu, Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins.
Collins’ name featuring as part of the USA team confirms that the BJK Cup Finals will be the final tournament of her career.
The BJK Cup Finals take place between Wednesday 13th November to Wednesday 20th November, when the 2024 world champions will be crowned.
Inside the baseline…
It is such a shame for this event that once again Iga Swiatek will not be their for the final stages. And it is also a shame for Poland, who would have been able to challenge for the title with Swiatek, but will be much more up against it now. However, it is hard to blame Swiatek in this situation, as the real issue is the scheduling and not her commitment. However, here are likely to be some players doing the WTA Finals and BJK Cup Finals double, with Jessica Pegula, Jasmine Paolini and others featured in the entry lineup.
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BJK Cup Finals 2024 Team Lineups
While Iga Swiatek is the big name missing from the BJK Cup Finals, we wanted to take a look at those players who are going to feature in the season concluding team event in Malaga.
| Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Olivia Gadecki | 88 | 81 |
| Daria Saville | 103 | 190 |
| Ajla Tomljanović | 122 | 459 |
| Ellen Perez | 757 | 10 |
| Captain: Samantha Stosur | ||
| Canada | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Leylah Fernandez | 26 | 42 |
| Marina Stakusic | 128 | 560 |
| Rebecca Marino | 134 | 367 |
| Bianca Andreescu | 167 | – |
| Gabriela Dabrowski | – | 4 |
| Captain: Heidi El Tabakh | ||
| Czech Republic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Linda Nosková | 27 | 64 |
| Kateřina Siniaková | 37 | 1 |
| Marie Bouzková | 41 | 31 |
| Karolína Muchová | 51 | – |
| Captain: Petr Pála | ||
| Germany | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Tatjana Maria | 82 | 1007 |
| Jule Niemeier | 86 | 565 |
| Laura Siegemund | 99 | 11 |
| Eva Lys | 112 | – |
| Captain: Rainer Schüttler | ||
| Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Katie Boulter | 36 | 297 |
| Emma Raducanu | 70 | – |
| Harriet Dart | 71 | 61 |
| Heather Watson | 183 | 58 |
| Olivia Nicholls | – | 50 |
| Captain: Anne Keothavong | ||
| Italy | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Jasmine Paolini | 5 | 14 |
| Elisabetta Cocciaretto | 55 | 343 |
| Lucia Bronzetti | 75 | 289 |
| Martina Trevisan | 87 | 326 |
| Sara Errani | 91 | 15 |
| Captain: Tathiana Garbin | ||
| Japan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Moyuka Uchijima | 59 | 164 |
| Naomi Osaka | 76 | – |
| Nao Hibino | 147 | 165 |
| Eri Hozumi | 1066 | 51 |
| Shuko Aoyama | – | 46 |
| Captain: Ai Sugiyama | ||
| Poland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Magdalena Fręch | 32 | 389 |
| Magda Linette | 43 | 56 |
| Maja Chwalińska | 176 | 240 |
| Katarzyna Kawa | 221 | 89 |
| Captain: Dawid Celt | ||
| Romania | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Jaqueline Cristian | 80 | 189 |
| Ana Bogdan | 95 | 409 |
| Elena-Gabriela Ruse | 101 | 68 |
| Anca Todoni | 137 | 351 |
| Monica Niculescu | 958 | 40 |
| Captain: Horia Tecău | ||
| Slovakia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Anna Karolína Schmiedlová | 100 | 1021 |
| Rebecca Šramková | 102 | – |
| Viktória Hrunčáková | 233 | 149 |
| Renáta Jamrichová | 477 | 1606 |
| Tereza Mihalíková | 1106 | 48 |
| Captain: Matej Lipták | ||
| Spain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Paula Badosa | 20 | 255 |
| Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro | 57 | 1335 |
| Cristina Bucșa | 77 | 20 |
| Nuria Párrizas Díaz | 83 | 826 |
| Sara Sorribes Tormo | 109 | 29 |
| Captain: Anabel Medina Garrigues | ||
| United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | SR | DR |
| Jessica Pegula | 3 | 60 |
| Danielle Collins | 10 | 524 |
| Caroline Dolehide | 45 | 12 |
| Taylor Townsend | 47 | 8 |
| Peyton Stearns | 48 | 75 |
| Captain: Lindsay Davenport | ||
Save the dates in your diary for your nations’ tie 🗒️
The 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals schedule is here 👇#BJKCup pic.twitter.com/hNgcpeBDdp
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) May 13, 2024
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