Meet the GB team going for maiden BJK Cup title

Billie Jean King Cup 2025 – Great Britain v Japan

Dates: 18 September Venue: Shenzhen, China

The Billie Jean King Cup Finals begin this week, with Great Britain in quarter-final action against Japan on Thursday.

Eight nations will compete for the prestigious trophy, with Britain aiming to improve on last year’s semi-final run.

Defending champions Italy open play on Tuesday against China before Britain take on Japan.

Age: 29 Ranking: 50 Strength: Forehand

British number two Katie Boulter, appearing in the BJK Cup for the seventh year, brings some much-needed experience to Anne Keothavong’s side.

She won her singles match against Germany in April’s qualifying event but lost in the singles against the Netherlands, before she and Jodie Burrage teamed up to win the decisive doubles match and clinch Britain’s finals place.

It has, however, been a mixed 2025 for Boulter.

She missed some tournaments early in the year with a foot injury before claiming a maiden clay title at a WTA 125 event in Paris.

A second-round defeat at the first women’s Queen’s event for 52 years was part of a difficult grass-court season, and Boulter relinquished her two-year reign as British number one to Raducanu as a result.

She achieved a fourth career win against a top-10 player – defeating Paula Badosa in the Wimbledon first round – but lost to lucky loser Solana Sierra in the next.

Boulter did not make it past the second round at any of the four Grand Slams, admitting at Wimbledon that her “moment might not come”.

Age: 23 Ranking: 48 Strength: Movement

Sonay Kartal’s remarkable rise up the rankings has been well-documented since last year’s run to the Wimbledon third round.

This year, a second-round French Open appearance saw her move inside the world’s top 50 for the first time before she again thrived at SW19, reaching the fourth round.

Kartal made an impression on her BJK Cup debut earlier this year, sealing two wins in her two singles matches against Germany and the Netherlands.

Age: 26 Ranking: 117 Strength: Front-footed style

Jodie Burrage was around the British team for several years before making her debut in 2023 and earned a first win for her country earlier this year alongside Boulter in the doubles.

Burrage’s career has been plagued with injury, ultimately missing six months of the season last year with a wrist problem.

But she continues to fight back. This year, she earned a first career win at the Australian Open and made her French Open debut four months later.

Losses to top-50 players followed in the early rounds at Queen’s and Eastbourne before a first-round exit at Wimbledon.

Age: 24 Ranking: 85 Strength: Mentality

A late addition to the British team following Raducanu’s withdrawal, Francesca Jones has enjoyed a breakout year on the WTA Tour.

She qualified for her first WTA 1000 event in Madrid and earned main-draw wins at events at Nottingham and Eastbourne.

In July, she won the biggest title of her career at a WTA 125 event – the rung below the main tour – in Contrexeville, France, and swiftly followed up with a second title at that level in Palermo.

That led to her cracking the world’s top 100 for the first time, before Jones came through three rounds of qualifying to secure a maiden US Open main-draw appearance.

Jones ultimately lost in the first round by German Eva Lys but continues to show what she is capable of.