MADRID (AP) — The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will begin in Malaga this week in a closer partnership with the Davis Cup and with some added attention given to the victims of the deadly floods that recently devastated eastern Spain.
It will be the first time that the women’s team tournament will take place at the same venue as the Davis Cup and with overlapping dates. And for the second year in a row, it will offer equivalent prize money to the men’s competition.
The women’s event begins two weeks after a powerful storm caused flash floods that killed more than 200 people in the Valencia region east of Malaga.
The International Tennis Federation announced a donation to the Spanish Red Cross to support relief and recovery efforts in the region, and Spanish player Paula Badosa said she will donate half of her prize money to help the victims.
“I’m excited about representing my country, but I won’t forget about what’s really important in these moments,” Badosa said on a social media post.
Spain takes on Iga Swiatek’s Poland on the competition’s first day on Tuesday, led by Badosa not long after the former second-ranked player considered retiring while dealing with a chronic back injury.
“I think it was a bit of a rollercoaster this year,” Badosa said. “I’m really proud of myself, how I overcame these tough situations and also how I finished the season. I finished the year in a very high level. I’m really happy, as there was one point of the season where I was very far away from the level I wanted to be.”
On Wednesday, the United States will take on Slovakia with Ashlyn Krueger replacing Jessica Pegula in Lindsay Davenport’s team, which also includes Danielle Collins, Caroline Dolehide, Peyton Stearns and Taylor Townsend.
Also on Wednesday, Japan — without Naomi Osaka — plays against Romania, while on Thursday it’s Germany against Britain. Defending champion Canada, Australia, Italy and the Czech Republic wait to take on the winners of those previous matchups.
Each matchup will be a best-of-three series with two singles matches and one doubles match.
Previously known as Fed Cup, the competition was rebranded in 2020 to align with former tennis star Billie Jean King.
It will end Nov. 20, while the Davis Cup will be played Nov. 19-24, with all matches taking place at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena in Malaga.
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