Canada win 2023 Billie Jean King Cup with 2-0 victory over Italy
Fernandez, Stakusic rise to the occasion in the final.
Canada won the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time on Sunday, beating Italy 2-0 in the best-of-three final to claim the top team trophy in international women’s tennis. The Canadians defeated Spain, Poland, and the Czech Republic on their way to the final, before Marina Stakusic and Leylah Fernandez clinched the title with singles victories against the Italians.
With the win, Canada becomes just the fifth nation to hold both the Billie Jean King Cup and the Davis Cup at the same time, having won the men’s equivalent competition for the first time in 2022.
For their victory, the Canadians also received $2.4 million US in prize money, equivalent to the Davis Cup prize, and blue jackets from King herself. They will also automatically reach next year’s finals, skipping the qualifying rounds.
Stakusic, ranked 258th in the world, took on 44th-ranked Martina Trevisan in the opening match of the final, and pulled off the upset with a 7-5, 6-3 straight sets victory.
The 18-year-old, who was relatively unknown before playing in her first Billie Jean King Cup, was unfazed by the occasion in the biggest few matches of her budding career, playing with a confidence and ferocity that caught the eyes of many around the world.
Next, she’ll be hoping to find a breakthrough on the WTA circuit.
“I’m so happy and honoured that I was able to play this week,” Stakusic said in a TV interview after her victory. “This has been seriously the best experience of my life.
“To be able to play some of my best tennis here is unbelievable, I did not expect this coming into this week, but I’m so happy with the outcome, it’s been the best week.”
In the second match of the final, with Canada looking to clinch their first Billie Jean King Cup title, Fernandez was sent back out to get the job done.
After a dominant first set against Jasmine Paolini, Fernandez controlled the second set as well, holding on for a 6-2, 6-3 victory, and the world championship. Like Stakusic in the first match, Fernandez was focused and determined from start to finish, never showing a sign of slowing down.
Fernandez was Canada’s best player throughout the tournament, winning every single one of her eight matches between singles and doubles from the qualifying rounds through the final.
The defining moment for Canada may have come in the semifinal against the Czech Republic. Playing with Gabriela Dabrowski, and not long after keeping Canada alive with a three-set victory over seventh-ranked Markéta Vondroušová, Fernandez helped see out a gruelling 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) victory in the decisive doubles match.
The 21-year-old Canadian played some of the best tennis of her career in Seville throughout the week, and was arguably the best player in the competition.
The journey toward Canada’s first-ever Billie Jean King Cup final began back in April. Their route began in the qualifying round, where they hosted Belgium at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. In the best-of-five series, Canada won 3-2 thanks to two singles wins from Fernandez, and a doubles win from Fernandez and Dabrowski. Rebecca Marino and Katherine Sebov were also on the Canadian team for that qualifying event, both losing their singles matches after both went to decisive third sets.
Fernandez, Dabrowski, and Marino were on the roster for the Finals, along with Eugenie Bouchard and the aforementioned Marina Stakusic. Dabrowski, who recently won the US Open doubles competition with New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe, wasn’t needed in the final, but would have played the third and deciding match in doubles with Fernandez had it been necessary.
Bouchard and Marino also didn’t play in the final, but Bouchard did play the doubles matches against Spain and Poland in the group stage with Dabrowski.
Not on the team was 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who is dealing with a back injury.
“I’m incredibly proud of every single girl that’s sitting here,” said Canada’s captain Heidi El Tabakh. “It’s been a pleasure sharing the court with them all week, and everyone who is here currently has been a huge asset to the Canadian team throughout the years. We wouldn’t be here without every single one of them right now.”
The Canadian men’s team will also be in Spain this month, looking to repeat as Davis Cup champions after winning the competition for the first time last year. By beating Italy, Chile, and Sweden in the Group Stage in September, they will next head to Malaga, Spain for the finals.
They will take on Finland in the quarterfinals on November 21, with the winner moving on to play the winner of the Czech Republic vs. Australia. The winner of that semifinal will play in November 26th’s final, against one of Italy, the Netherlands, Serbia, or Great Britain.
The Canadian team will be made up of Félix Auger-Aliassime, Gabriel Diallo, Alexis Galarneau, Vasek Pospisil, and Milos Raonic. Denis Shapovalov, who was on the team that won the tournament last year instead of Raonic, will not be taking part due to injury.
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