A page turns. The tennis Fed Cup, women's version of the historic Davis Cup, is changing its name. The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced Thursday, September 17, during an online press conference, that it had renamed the team event after Billie Jean King... and its main sponsor, the banking group BNP Paribas. The competition will now be named Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas. According to the ITF, this new name is historic, as no major global team competition has ever borne the name of a woman. This name change follows the introduction of a new final format, which will bring together the top 12 nations for a week in Budapest. From 2021, under its new name, the Billie Jean King Cup final will distribute $12 million, the equivalent of prize money put into play in the Davis Cup. Reaction from Billie Jean King: “ It is an honor to see the Women’s Tennis World Cup bear my name and a responsibility that I will not take lightly. Our job is to share this vision with future generations of girls, because if you can see it, you can be it. » The former American player lifted the trophy ten times during her career, more than any other person in history, triumphing seven times as a player and four times as captain (including once as a player- captain).
