Canada has been imagining its path to a second consecutive Billie Jean King Cup title for some time. But as the meetings unfold in Malaga, Spain, the picture becomes clearer.
The defense of its title will begin on Sunday against Great Britain, and some powers could await the Canadians in the detour.
With Canada’s first game fast approaching, let’s take a look at the teams that could prevent the defending champions from scoring a second Billie Jean King Cup triumph.
Quarter-final: Great Britain
- Dates: Sundays November 17th
- Head to head: 0-3
- Last meeting: 1984 World Group Qualifiers, Great Britain won 2–1
Canada will look to score its first victory against Great Britain when it sets out to defend its title. Even if the British have won in all the previous meetings between the two countries, we cannot really rely on this history since the majority of players who will take part in this quarter-final were not even born last time the two teams have faced each other.
On paper, the British have the advantage since three of their players are in the Top 100 in singles. Their number one is Katie Boulter, world 24th, who will likely face Leylah Annie Fernandez in the second singles match. The two rivals have a record of one win and one loss against each other. Boulter’s victory dates back to 2018, while Fernandez won their most recent duel, in July 2023.
Also read: Team Canada is ready for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals
Boulter had a great season. She started 2024 outside the Top 50 and climbed the ranks thanks to winning titles in San Diego and Nottingham. She should arrive in Malaga in great shape after reaching the final in Hong Kong.
Boulter will be supported by Emma Raducanu and Harriet Dart. In April’s qualifying events, Raducanu lived up to expectations, winning two singles matches to help Great Britain book their ticket to Malaga. The 2021 U.S. Open champion, however, struggled to stay healthy throughout the season and has only played three tournaments, a total of seven matches, since Wimbledon.
Also read: Fernandez, Dabrowski, Stakusic and Marino set out to defend their Billie Jean King Cup title – Meet Team Canada
Among the possible duels in the first singles, only Dart and Rebecca Marino have already faced each other. Dart has two wins and one loss against the Canadian, but Marino won their last hard court match in Dubai last year.
Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls round out the British team and they could both be doubles threats, as they are ranked 57th and 39th respectively.
On Friday, Raducanu and Boulter eliminated Germany with straight-set victories.
Semi-final: Australia or Slovakia
If Canada manages to reach the final four, it could cross swords with Australia or Slovakia.
Australia
- Possible date: Monday November 18 or Tuesday November 19
- Head to head: 0-4
- Last meeting: World Group II qualifiers in 1996, Australia won 3-2.
Like Canada, Australia reached the quarter-finals directly and will face Slovakia. Ajla Tomljanovic (85th) is at the head of the Australian team, but has struggled to stay healthy since the 2022 season in which she participated in two quarter-finals in Grand Slam tournaments. However, Tomljanovic played steadily in the second half of 2024 and won a WTA 125 title in October, beating Marina Stakusic. The Australian number 1 won her only previous meeting against Fernandez, earlier this year on the Birmingham turf.
Only two members of the Australian team which beat Mexico 4-0 in qualifying are present in Malaga: Daria Saville and Ellen Perez, 13th in the world in doubles.
Olivia Gadecki and Kimberly Birrell, ranked 90th and 115th in singles respectively, complete the team.
Slovakia
- Possible date: Monday November 18 or Tuesday November 19
- Head-to-head: 1-2
- Last meeting: World Group II play-off meeting in 2016, Slovakia won 3-2
Slovakia caused the first big upset of the Finals on Thursday by eliminating the powerful Americans, setting the table for a quarter-final against Australia.
Even though the Americans were without their three best players, they had a considerable advantage on paper. Nevertheless, Rebecca Sramkova (43rd) got the better of Danielle Collins (11th), then Tereza Mihalikova and Viktoria Hruncakova won the doubles to seal the victory. Interestingly, Renata Jamrichova (375th) played the first singles instead of Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (110th), who is nevertheless the second best player on the team.
Sramkova has been on a roll since the US Open: she reached three finals and won a title in Thailand (WTA 125). She has won at least four matches in four of her last five tournaments. A duel with Fernandez would be a first between the two rivals.
Canada and Slovakia met in the Billie Jean King Cup eight years ago, but Mihalikova was the only player from both teams who was present for that meeting.
Final: Czechia/Italy/Poland/Japan
Canada cannot face any of its 2023 opponents before the final encounter, as its four Sevilla rivals are on the opposite side of the draw. If the Canadians qualify for the final, they could cross swords with one of these three countries:
Czechia
Despite missing four of its top five players, the Czech team includes three Top 50 players. Linda Noskova, 19, is the Czech number one. She is surrounded by Marie Bouzkova and Katerina Siniakova, who won two major doubles titles this year and who just participated in the championship match at the WTA Finals.
Italy
The Italian team looks a lot like the one that lost to Canada in the 2023 final in Seville. However, Jasmine Paolini’s breakthrough in 2024 makes the team much more intimidating. The Italian number 1 is the second highest ranked player in Malaga.
Poland
Canada was lucky last year, as it faced Poland without the services of Iga Swiatek. However, the holder of five Grand Slam tournament titles is present in Malaga. Thanks to her, the Polish team is much more intimidating since it is the only one to count on three members of the Top 40 singles.
CLICK HERE for everything you need to know about the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup final.
Fans can follow the matches of the Canadian Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup teams for free on CBC Gem, cbcsports.cathe CBC Sports app and the channel YouTube official from CBC Sports. The meetings will also be broadcast in French by TVA Sports broadcast continuously by TVA Sports Directwhich will also feature the semi-finals and finals.
