BJK Cup Finals suffer blow as big-name stars withdraw
- Christian Montegan
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Three of the world's top 15 women's stars won't make the trip to Shenzhen for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals next week.
The tournament has been moved forward in the calendar to September instead of November, with China set to become the first hosts from outside Europe since the format was renamed in 2020, following the American legend Billie Jean King's lead.
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But the event has received disappointing news, with confirmation of three star names to skip the Finals.
The least surprising omission is former Australian Open runner-up Qinwen Zheng, who underwent elbow surgery in July.
After a strong showing at the US Open with a semi-final appearance, four-time Slam winner Naomi Osaka won't make the trip, causing an obvious blow to Japan's title hopes.
The 27-year-old is replaced by world No.202 Nao Hibino.
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Despite Madison Keys' quality, the reigning Australian Open champion's absence won't deter the Americans, given their impressive depth under captain Lindsay Davenport.
All three top-ranked American women's players, Coco Gauff, Amanda Anisimova and Keys, are left off the roster for Team USA.
The Finals take place from September 16 to September 21, with Italy looking to defend its title.
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