The BJK Cup should be treated like any other tournament and one mandatory WTA 500 should be removed": Swiatek shakes up the WTA

© AFP

Arthur Millot

le 24/09/2025 à 15h50

2 min to read

Swiatek

The schedule change for the Billie Jean King Cup has not gone unnoticed. Swiatek, who is absent from the tournament, speaks bluntly about a system that has run out of steam. Between an overly packed schedule, nonexistent vacations, and lack of coordination between the WTA and ITF, the world No. 2 does not mince words.

The Billie Jean King Cup, formerly the Fed Cup, has always been a cornerstone of the WTA calendar. But in 2025, an unexpected shift is taking place: the finals will now be held in Shenzhen, China, and most notably, at the very beginning of the Asian tour in late September, breaking with its traditional November slot.

The goal: to reduce end-of-season constraints, avoid overlaps with the WTA Finals, and allow some breathing room for exhausted bodies. When asked about the tournament's new timing, the world No. 2 expressed herself frankly:

"As far as the scheduling goes, it's a good decision. For a player who doesn't qualify for the WTA Finals, it's hard to stay motivated until November and not be able to take a vacation. Maybe I shouldn't talk about vacations, but let's be honest, there's no time for them during the season.

The ITF and the WTA need to sit down together to avoid forcing players to compete in six mandatory WTA 500 tournaments. If you play the Billie Jean King Cup finals, you have one less week to do so. If the WTA could treat the BJK Cup like any other tournament... and remove one mandatory WTA 500, that would be a good thing.