The finals of the Billie Jean King Cup have been brought forward two months to September.
The new Sept. 16-21 schedule in Shenzhen, China, better aligns with the calendar for top women’s tennis players, organizers said Thursday. Shenzhen is hosting the finals each year through 2027.
After the US Open ends Sept. 7, the WTA Tour moves to Asia for the China Open starting Sept. 24 in Beijing. The tour then stays in China for the Wuhan Open, with other WTA tournaments also taking place in Asia in Seoul, Hong Kong, Osaka, Ningbo, Guangzhou, Tokyo and Jiujiang between September and October.
Billie Jean King Cup defending champion Italy and host China will be in the eight-team lineup. Italy won a 12-nation tournament in November in Malaga, Spain.
The other finalists will be the winners of six qualifying groups played this weekend in Australia, the Czech Republic, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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