Betty Chance

ART_APPRECIATION

ART_APPRECIATION_166_REPORT

The Billie Jean King Cup (or the BJK Cup) is the premier international team competition in

women's tennis, launched as the Federation Cup in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary

of the International Tennis Federation (ITF).The name was changed to the Fed Cup in 1995,

and changed again in September 2020 in honor of former World No.1 Billie Jean King.The

Billie Jean King Cup is the world's largest annual women's international team sports

competition in terms of the number of nations that compete.The current chair is Katrina

Adams.The Czech Republic dominated the BJK Cup in the 2010s, winning six of ten

competitions in the decade.The men's equivalent of the Billie Jean King Cup is the Davis Cup,

and the Czech Republic, Australia, Russia, Italy and the United States are the only countries

to have won both Cups in the same year.== History ==

In 1919, Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman had an idea for a women's team tennis

competition.This was not adopted but she persisted, presenting a trophy at the 1923 annual

contest between the United States and Great Britain, named the Wightman Cup.Nell

Hopman, wife of the legendary Australian Davis Cup Captain Harry Hopman, later took up

Mrs Wightman's original idea.In 1962, a British resident of the United States, Mary

Hardwick Hare, presented a dossier proving that support for such an event was

overwhelming, persuading the ITF that it was a 'good idea' to have a team championship

played over one week in a different venue each year.40 years after Wightman's idea of a

women's Davis Cup, it became a reality.In 1963, the ITF launched the Federation Cup to
celebrate its 50th anniversary.Open to all nations the competition became a resounding

success.The inaugural event attracted 16 countries.The competition was supported by the

top players right from the start.Held at the Queen's Club, in London, the first contest was

between Australia and the United States.Grand Slam champions Darlene Hard, Billie Jean

King, Margaret Smith and Lesley Turner all proudly representing their country on court.The

United States would emerge the champion nation in the opening year.However, it was to be

Australia in the early years, winning seven of the next eleven championships.Around 1980

the United States was able to establish some significant mark on the competition setting in

future years a very high standard for others to compete against.The first Federation Cup

had attracted 16 entry teams, despite no prize money and teams having to meet their own

expenses.When sponsorship became available, the number of teams expanded dramatically,

first by the Colgate Group in 1976, and, from 1981 to 1994 by the Japanese communications

and computer giant NEC.In 1994, there were 73 nations competing, with the host nation of a

Federation Cup week was now being required to build a special tennis complex, giving rise

to what became known as the Federation Cup "legacy."The additional costs of each event

could be offset with the host nations viewing their involvement as providing an opportunity

to boost their national game.For the 1992, a regional group qualifying format was

introduced.In 1995, the event's name was shortened to the Fed Cup, and a new home-and-

away format was adopted as per the Davis Cup, so that women could play for their country

in their own country.There have been a number of smaller changes to the format since

1995.The format change implemented in 2005 incorporates an eight Nation World Group I

and eight nation World Group II both playing home-and-away over three weekends

throughout the year.Three regional groups compete and there are promotions and

relegations based on results.The 2021 edition is set to have US$12 million in prize

money.== Format ==
=== Competition ===

While many nations enter the BJK Cup each year, only 16 countries qualify for the elite

World Group and World Group II each year (eight in World Group and eight in World Group

II).They reach World Group and World Group II as follows:

(a) World Group – the four nations that win their World Group first round tie remain in the

World Group for the following year.First round losers contest the World Group play-offs

against the four winning nations from World Group II to determine relegation/promotion

for the following year's competition.(The four nations that win World Group play-offs will

be in the World Group the following year, while the four losers will start the following year

in World Group II.)(b) World Group II – the four nations that win their World Group II ties

will compete in the World Group I Play-Offs to determine relegation/promotion for the

following year, as described above.Similarly the four nations that lose their World Group II

ties will face winning nations from Group I Zonal competitions, in the World Group II play-

offs, to determine relegation/promotion.(The four nations that win their World Group II

play-offs will be in World Group II the following year, while the four losers will begin the

next year in Group I Zonal events.)Once in the World Group or World Group II, four nations

will be seeded in each.The decision as to which nations will be seeded is made by the BJK

Cup Committee, according to the ITF BJK Cup Nations Ranking.At the levels below the World

Group and World Group II, the BJK Cup nations compete in Zonal Competition events, which

are split into three zones: The Americas Zone, the Asia/Oceania Zone and the Europe/Africa

Zone.