Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers 2025: Meet the opponents set to take on the Brits in the Netherlands
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The Lexus Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team will soon be heading to The Hague, Netherlands for this year's Qualifiers.
The Brits have been drawn in Group F and will face hosts Netherlands and Germany in a bid to reach the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in November.
With a weekend worth of world-class tennis on the horizon, here's everything you need to know about Great Britain's opponents:
Germany
World ranking: 8
Team:
- Eva Lys (world No.70)
- Laura Siegemund (world No.88 / world No.22 - doubles)
- Tatjana Maria (world No.82)
- Jule Niemeier (world No.118)
- Captain: Rainer Schuettler
History: Germany have been a main stay in the Billie Jean King Cup since their first appearance back in 1963. They have been crowned champions twice during their history (1987, 1992) and have finished runners-up on five occasions, with the most recent coming in 2014.
2024 performance: The Germans enjoyed a solid 2024 campaign where they kick-started the year by defeating Brazil 3-1 in the Qualifiers to reach the Finals in Malaga. There, they took on Great Britain in the first round, where Katie Boulter and Emma Raducanu defeated Laura Siegemund and Jule Niemeier to secure the Brits’ spot in the quarter-finals.
Players to watch: Team Captain Rainer Schuettler has opted for a combination of strength and form for the upcoming ties against Great Britain and the Netherlands. Rising star Eva Lys has enjoyed a promising start to her season after the 23-year-old embarked on a dream run to the fourth round of the Australian Open as a lucky loser. As a result, Lys broke into the top 100 for the first time.
Another one to watch will be Laura Siegemund, who has become a stalwart in the German team over the years. Siegemund is more than just a reliable singles player for her nation - she's also one of the world's best doubles players, having claimed 15 tour-level doubles titles, including the 2020 US Open crown, and is currently ranked No.22 in the WTA rankings.
Netherlands:
World ranking: 21
Team:
- Suzan Lamens (world No.74)
- Arantxa Rus (world No.91)
- Anouk Koevermans (world No.179)
- Demi Schuurs (world No.26 - doubles)
- Team Captain: Elise Tamaela
History: The Netherlands made their Billie Jean King Cup debut back in 1963 and have since gone on to finish runners-up on two occasions (1968, 1997).
2024 performance: Last year's tournament saw the Netherlands go undefeated in their Europe/Africa Group I Round Robin and Play-offs stages to reach the Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs. There, they beat Slovenia 3-1 to punch their ticket to this year's Qualifiers.
Players to watch: The Dutch team's highest ranked player comes in the form of doubles specialist Demi Schuurs. The world No.24 will enter the tie in red-hot form off the back of lifting her second career WTA 1000 trophy at Indian Wells where she beat Britain's Olivia Nicholls and Tereza Mihalikova in the final.
Meanwhile in the singles, world No.70 Suzan Lamens comes in as the top ranked player in Elise Tamaela's squad. Lamens has managed to clinch victories at some of the biggest events on the WTA tour in recent months including at Indian Wells, ATX Open, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and Australian Open. With the 25-year-old in sturdy form, she could pose a threat to the Brits should she be selected to play in the Qualifiers.
How to watch the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers
All the action from the Lexus GB team's matches will be available to watch on BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer and Tennis Channel. You can also watch all other matches from the Group F Qualifiers in The Hague, Netherlands live on Tennis Channel.
