Key Takeaways
- Ukraine defeated defending champions Italy 2-0 to reach its first Billie Jean King Cup final, with Anhelina Kalinina and Elina Svitolina earning straight-sets victories.
- Elina Svitolina secured her 20th career BJK Cup singles win and called it “such an historical moment for Ukraine” after avenging previous defeats against the Italian team.
- Captain Illya Marchenko’s squad will play 11-time champions Czechia in the final, with Svitolina noting that Ukraine enters with “nothing to lose in a way” against the favorites.
Historic triumph over defending champions Italy
Ukraine secured a place in its maiden Billie Jean King Cup final by dethroning two-time defending champions Italy with a clean 2-0 semifinal sweep. The victory snapped Italy’s 8-match winning streak in the tournament and marked Ukraine’s first victory against the Italian squad following five prior tie losses.
Anhelina Kalinina opened the tie with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 149th-ranked Tyra Caterina Grant, establishing an early 1-0 advantage. World No. 7 Elina Svitolina then stepped onto the court and delivered a decisive 6-2, 6-2 win over Italian No. 1 Jasmine Paolini to clinch the tie.
Svitolina rebounds with semifinal heroics
Svitolina, who converted 5 of 7 break points during her match, celebrated her 20th career Billie Jean King Cup singles win. Her dominant display came after an opening-round singles loss earlier in the week against Belgium’s Greet Minnen.
Reflecting on her comeback, Svitolina praised the squad’s collective spirit: “I was very upset after the first day against Belgium, about my performance, because I felt like I didn’t play at my best. But all the credits to Minnen,” Svitolina said. “She played an unbelievable match. Of course, it was a great chance for us that girls won in doubles, gave us a chance to play in the semifinals. I really tried to use this chance, get better with my game, with my performance.”
Svitolina added: “Thanks to the team that they really supported me in this way. We practiced, we worked on few things. I’m very happy that we passed Italy and now we’re in the finals. Such an historical moment for Ukraine. Just really happy and proud of the team. Looking forward for tomorrow.”
Title clash with Czechia awaits
Under the guidance of captain Illya Marchenko, Ukraine became the 18th nation to reach the Billie Jean King Cup final, and the 3rd first-time finalist since the current format was introduced in 2021. Ukraine has now won 7 of its last 8 ties in the competition, avenging its 2025 semifinal defeat to Tathiana Garbin’s Italian team.
In the final, Ukraine will challenge No. 2-seeded Czechia, an 11-time champion that has won all its matches this week without dropping an individual tie, defeating Great Britain 2-0 and Spain 2-0.
Svitolina acknowledged the size of the challenge ahead: “Firstly, I think we already very happy with the finals here. But the job is not done,” Svitolina said. “Czechia is a massive favorite I think on the paper, so we have nothing to lose in a way. We’ll be going in with this mindset.”
She continued: “I think just trying to bring our good game, stay focused on what we have to do tactically. With this, give ourselves a good chance to fight, maybe get the trophy.”
Playing for pride and unity
With Ukrainian flags waving in the stands, Svitolina expressed deep pride in representing her nation during an ongoing war following Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“Of course, this would be a dream for us, for Ukraine,” Svitolina said. “Yeah, I really, really hope that one day – maybe tomorrow, maybe some other day – that we’re going to lift this trophy for Ukrainian people. Means so much for the history of tennis.”
“We have so many great players. I think in such a difficult time right now with the war ongoing, with the daily attacks on various cities, I think these kind of wins, any kind of win in sports, it’s just unbelievable. It unites people and just gives them a little break from the daily attacks and the war.”
The landmark team achievement highlights a strong year for Ukrainian tennis. Marta Kostyuk won the Mutua Madrid Open against Mirra Andreeva before reaching the Roland Garros semifinals, while Svitolina won her 19th title in Auckland, captured her 20th career WTA title in Rome, and reached the French Open quarterfinals. Svitolina and Kostyuk currently lead a contingent of 6 Ukrainian players inside the WTA’s top 100.
Elina Svitolina in 2026
Currently ranked no.7, Svitolina played her last match on the 26th of September when she beat world no.20 Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-2 in the Rubber 2 in (draw).
This year Svitolina has managed to achieve a compiled 45-14 win-loss record. Elina conquered 2 titles in 2026 in Auckland and Rome.
