A few weeks ago, it looked like a plethora of stars, but with the imminent start of the grand final of the Billie Jean Cup in Prague, the doubles of big tennis names will be bought. The biggest star in the O2 arena will be Czech tennis player Barbora Krejčíková. The British are not yet clear whether any station will broadcast the finals.
Prague was given a prestigious task. The first to present the new format of the former Fed Cup, now named after American tennis legend Billie Jean King. Grand finals for a dozen women’s teams divided into four groups in one place in a single week.
The final of the World Tennis Team Championships on neutral ground was already embarrassing during the revival of the men’s Davis Cup two years ago in Madrid, and fans are now waiting anxiously for the premiere of the women’s Billie Jean King Cup.
Before Monday’s start, the organizers are fighting not only with the prejudices of the fans, but also with the withdrawals of the players. The tennis players are upset at the end of the season full of covid measures and do not want to go to the center of Europe.
“I am very sorry, I wanted to represent Spain, but after I qualified for the Champions Tournament, it is not possible to combine matches in Prague,” said Paula Badosa, the winner of the “fifth grand slam” in Indian Wells.
The WTA circuit is hosting the Champions Tournament in Guadalajara the following week, so many of the best tennis players after the Indian Wells event have stayed on the North American continent.
“The tournament of the champions in Mexico in the BJK Cup certainly did not help. It is no surprise that other stars are also unsigned. Of the top five players in the world, only Barbora Krejčíková remained in Prague. In the UK five days before the first match it is not even clear television stations final broadcast, “wrote The Times editor Stuart Fraser.
Canada’s finalist Leylah Fernandez will not help Canada, while Jessica Pegula will help the US team. Belarus’s Viktoria Azarenková is already enjoying her holiday with her son, and Garbiňa Muguruzaová also dropped out of the Spanish team.
“The pressure and constant travel has been enormous. I’ve been dragging my sore ankle for weeks and I haven’t been home in a long time. I need to rest,” admitted Muguruza, who should also start in Guadalajara.
However, Czech tennis players will probably not benefit much from the mentioned cancellations so far. Their group will probably be the most trampled stars in the entire tournament. Former world number one German Angelique Kerberová has already confirmed her participation, and this year’s Olympic winner Belinda Bencicová should also play for the Swiss.
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