India Set to Host Billie Jean King Cup 2026: A Milestone for Women's Tennis
Significant Opportunity for Indian Tennis
New Delhi, April 6: Rohit Rajpal, the President of the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA), has expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup 2026 Asia/Oceania tournament, emphasizing its importance as India prepares to host this prestigious event.
The tournament will take place at the DLTA Stadium in New Delhi from April 7 to April 11.
Rajpal noted the impressive performance of Indian women in various sports, including cricket, where the national team recently won the World Cup, showcasing the rising prominence of women's sports in India.
During his address at the DLTA Complex, he stated, “We are hosting this tournament with great optimism. It’s a significant occasion, the Women’s World Cup. Our team has shown commendable performance in past tournaments, and we are hopeful for similar results this time. If the Indian team plays to its full potential, a victory wouldn’t be unexpected.”
While acknowledging the absence of tennis icon Sania Mirza, Rajpal highlighted the rise of young talents in Indian women’s tennis.
“Sania Mirza is undoubtedly one of our greatest players, male or female,” he remarked. “However, we now have Maaya, a 16-year-old who is being compared to the next Sania Mirza. Each era has its stars.”
On Maaya’s progress, he mentioned, “At just 16, she is under the guidance of IMG, similar to our young talent Maanas Dhamne, and they are training at the Piatti Academy in Italy. This European exposure is vital, and we are optimistic that these young athletes will evolve into elite players.”
Last year, India had a commendable run in the Asia/Oceania Group I, achieving victories against Thailand, Hong Kong China, Chinese Taipei, and the Republic of Korea, before narrowly missing out against New Zealand in the Playoffs (Group G).
This year, six teams will compete in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Play-offs in November, while the bottom two will be relegated to Asia/Oceania II in 2027.