ITF announces record prize money for Billie Jean King Cup
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FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Billie Jean King Cup Finals - Emirates Arena, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - November 9, 2022 General view of the trophy during the group stage match between Italy's Jasmine Paolini and Switwerland's Belinda Bencic Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes/File Photo
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SEVILLE – The 2023 Billie Jean King Cup champions will receive a record US$2.4 million (S$3.3 million), with prize money for the women’s team finals again matching that of the men’s Davis Cup.
A total purse of US$9.6 million will be shared among the 12 competing nations in Seville, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said in a statement.
“We are proud to announce this news on the eve of the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals,” said ITF president David Haggerty.
“Achieving gender parity in our sport is a key part of the ITF’s Advantage All programme and I’m delighted we’ve been able to offer equivalent prize money with the Davis Cup Finals again this year.”
Action began on Tuesday inside the Estadio la Cartuja with 2022 runners-up Australia losing 2-1 to Slovenia in Group B. Defending champions Switzerland were also on court on the opening day as they took on the Czech Republic in Group A.
France, meanwhile, are three-time champions, their last title was in 2019, and, in Alize Cornet, they have a dependable veteran to count on.
The French face Italy in Group D on Wednesday and Cornet, 33, said: “We know that we can bring out our best tennis. We know what our captain (Julien Benneteau) can give to us on the court and the way he can help us be the best versions of ourselves.
“We’ve won it in the past. Even if it was a different format, the spirit of the team was already there.”
The Spaniards, meanwhile, face Canada in Group C’s afternoon clash. Paula Badosa, 25, has missed three Slams in 2023 because of a back injury and she is keen to make up for lost time.
“It’s a mix of emotions, it has been a very tough year for me. Finally coming back to play here, playing in front of my crowd at home, as a team – I love to play for Spain so, for me, it’s very special,” she said.
The other four teams are Germany, Kazakhstan, Poland and the United States. The qualifying nations are split into four groups of three teams. All ties will consist of two singles followed by a doubles match.
The group winners move into the semi-finals on Saturday, with the final on Sunday. REUTERS
