India is preparing themselves to host the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Asia-Oceania Group I for the second consecutive time, which is set to be held at the DLTA Stadium in New Delhi from April 7 to 11, 2026. Apart from the hosts, the tournament will feature Indonesia, Korea, New Zealand, Mongolia, and Thailand competing in the single round-robin format.
Each tie will comprise the best-of-three, including two singles and one doubles match. Once completed, only the top two teams from there will be qualified to the Billie Jean King Cup Playoffs, for which the schedule is yet to be out. Meanwhile, the bottom two will be moved into the Asia/Oceania Group II.
Last year, India hosted the event in Pune at the Mahalunge Balewadi Tennis Complex. They qualified for the Playoffs for the second time; finished the group stage as runners-up behind New Zealand. However, they had a poor showing, being knocked out after losing both of their matches against Slovenia and the Netherlands, respectively, in Group G. The Indian team was led by tennis spearheaded by Shrivalli Rashmikaa Bhamidipaty. India had previously made it to their first-ever play-offs back in 2021, which they lost to Latvia by 3-1.
At the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup finals, Italy retained their title after defeating the United States by a score of 2-0, held in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China, on September 21.
On Thursday, February 5, All-India Tennis Association (AITA) secretary general Anil Dhupar, expressing his excitement about India hosting the event, said, “India has been given the privilege of hosting the World Cup of Women Tennis 2026 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Asia/Oceania Group I Event in April this year.”
The Billie Jean King Cup (previously known as the Fed Cup) invites top-ranked women athletes from around the world to compete in the prestigious international event in a team format. The growth and development come in parity with the men’s tennis tournament known as the Davis Cup.
Meanwhile, the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers will feature 14 teams competing in seven home-or-away ties from April 10 to 11. Australia will host Great Britain for the Qualifiers. The winner will then secure their spot in the eight-nation Finals, scheduled to take place in China in September.
