LONDON: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced that the Fed Cup, the women’s world cup of tennis, has been renamed the Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas.
It is the first time a major global team competition has been named after a woman, ushering in a new era for the historic tournament and representing a landmark moment for sport.
The rename also follows the introduction of a new finals format that will bring the 12 best nations together over one week in Budapest to compete to become world champions. From 2021, under its new name, the Billie Jean King Cup Finals will award the biggest annual prize fund in women’s team sports – equivalent to that offered to the men playing Davis Cup Finals.
King was presented with the Fed Cup Award of Excellence in recognition of her achievements in 2010, before being appointed as the competition’s first Global Ambassador in 2019.
The name change will provide the opportunity for increased global exposure and investment in women’s tennis.
Microsoft, Magellan Corporation new ITF partners
The ITF has also announced Microsoft and Magellan Corporation as new partners. Microsoft became the Global Technology and Innovation Partner, bringing real-time data insights to the court at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
