New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) As the Indian women’s tennis team is set to carry the national flag at the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group I event, women’s tennis trailblazer Sania Mirza has called on the squad to play with “greatest pride” and “100 per cent effort.”

India is hosting the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC) Asia/Oceania Group I event, which will be held at the DLTA Stadium in New Delhi from April 7 to 11. Ahead of the tournament opener, Sania shared a message of support for the contingent.

The Indian team comprises Ankita Raina, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaishnavi Adkar, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Rutuja Bhosale, and Vaidehee Chaudhari.

“Hi everyone, here’s wishing the Billie Jean King Cup Indian team all the very best. The tournament starts in a couple of days and it’s the greatest pride, greatest honour to represent our amazing country and I hope all you girls do well, give your best, give your 100% and bring it home. We’re all rooting for you,” the three-time Grand Slam champion said.

Often referred to as the World Cup of women’s tennis, the tournament will see six nations compete in a round-robin format, with the top two teams earning promotion to the Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs scheduled for November 2026.

Apart from host India, the other participating teams in the Asia/Oceania Group I ties are Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, and Thailand.

India entered the competition looking to build momentum, having delivered impressive results at last year’s Billie Jean King Cup Asia & Oceania Group I Qualifiers, where they secured 2–1 victories over Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea.

With New Zealand, Indonesia, and Mongolia also in the fray this year, India will be aiming for a top-two finish to keep its World Group ambitions alive.

As the team builds toward the qualifiers, the focus remains firmly on performance and taking a decisive step toward returning to the World Group for the third time.

The Asia/Oceania Group I event is part of the fourth tier of the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge, with Regional Group I competitions taking place simultaneously across Europe/Africa and the Americas during the same week.

A total of seven teams from the Regional Group I events worldwide will progress to the play-offs, where they will face the seven losing teams from the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers. The tournament will follow a single round-robin format, with all teams facing each other over the five-day competition.

–IANS

bc/