Canada Claims First Billie Jean King Cup Title with Historic Win

Canada made history in Seville as they clinched their first ever Billie Jean King Cup title with a resounding 2-0 victory over Italy. The final match was sealed by the impressive Leylah Fernandez, who defeated Jasmine Paolini 6-2 6-3.

In a stunning upset, teenager Marina Stakusic, ranked 258th, emerged victorious against top-50 player Martina Trevisan with a score of 7-5 6-3. Stakusic described this week as “the best week” of her life following her career-best win.

The triumph not only brought glory to Canada but also earned them a record $2.4m (£2.1m) in prize money, just one year after securing their first Davis Cup victory.

Leylah Fernandez has been on fire throughout the tournament and played an instrumental role in Canada’s success. Ranked at number 20 in the world, she displayed exceptional form by defeating Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova and partnering with Gabriela Dabrowski for doubles victory in the semi-final against the Czech Republic.

In Sunday’s title decider against Italy, Fernandez continued to dominate. She took control early on by winning four consecutive games after Paolini broke back for a tie at 2-2. Maintaining that momentum into set two, Fernandez secured another break and remained focused until the end.

Despite facing some resistance when serving for the championship at 5-2, Fernandez demonstrated resilience and quickly responded to secure her first match point. With this victory, she has now won an impressive 16 out of the 19 matches she has contested in the Billie Jean King Cup.

Expressing her elation, Fernandez said, “It feels amazing. I am extremely proud that I was able to represent Canada on the biggest stage. To do it in front of Billie Jean means the world to me, to us, and hopefully we can keep going and celebrate tonight.”

The historic win was set up by Marina Stakusic’s exceptional performance against Martina Trevisan. Despite not having played a single WTA main-draw match in 2023 so far, Stakusic showcased her talent and determination by securing victory despite missed opportunities on multiple match points.

“I’m so happy and honored that I could play this week; this has been the best week of my life,” Stakusic exclaimed after her sensational win.

The victorious Canadian team, which also included Rebecca Marino and Eugenie Bouchard under the captaincy of Heidi El Tabakh, celebrated their triumph with joyous embraces on court.