Meet the eight WTA Finals stars heading to the Billie Jean King Cup

Champions have been crowned, the confetti’s been swept off the court and the WTA 2024 season has officially wrapped up in Riyadh. 

Yet for some of the players, there’s still one more important stop to make before fleeing to the Maldives -- or any other destination of choice -- for some much-needed R&R, and that is the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga. 

Eight of the players who competed at the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF are Spain-bound this week and will be swapping their regular match kits for national colors. 

Those are: Iga Swiatek (Poland), Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani (Italy), Taylor Townsend and Caroline Dolehide (USA), Ellen Perez (Australia), year-end doubles World No.1 Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) and WTA Finals doubles champion Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada).

Here are some of their thoughts ahead of Wednesday’s kickoff:

Iga Swiatek

All set to lead Team Poland in their opener against Spain on Wednesday, Swiatek will be contesting the Billie Jean King Cup Finals for the first time. 

The World No.2 wasn’t able to join her compatriots in the 2022 or 2023 finals and is thrilled she gets to be a part of it this time around. 

“Honestly, I always wanted to play. This year, basically, was the only opportunity for me to play and I took it straight away. Especially with missing the China swing, I still can play a few matches,” Swiatek said. 

“I'm just going to enjoy playing for my country and being with the teammates and the girls, being as one team, and it's going to be tough, but we'll do our best to win.”

With the Davis Cup Finals taking place at the same venue in Malaga, does she plan on sticking around to catch Rafael Nadal’s last tournament before retirement?

“I have my vacation scheduled, so it's hard to pick that,” Swiatek said. “I think it would be impossible to get there anyway, because I heard it's all booked already and the ticket sales went crazy.”

“Maybe I'll watch it on TV. But I already have had a chance to text with Rafa a bit and thank him for everything that he's done. So I'll be following him anyway, no matter if he's still playing or not.”

Sara Errani

The Italian duo of Errani and Paolini were heartbroken after exiting doubles action in Riyadh, falling in the group stage with back-to-back losses after holding match points.

The Olympic doubles gold medalists said that becoming more consistent is a goal for next season but will first shift their focus to Malaga. 

“We need maybe some days off after this loss, because it’s tough, but we will recharge the batteries and be ready for Malaga,” said Errani, who has won the Billie Jean King Cup three times with Italy (2009, 2010, 2013). 

The Italians will have a chance to rest since they get a bye in the opening round in Malaga and await the winner of the matchup between Japan and Romania. 

Taylor Townsend

A runner-up alongside Siniakova in Riyadh on Saturday, Townsend laughed when she was asked if she had enough in her to step up one more time at a big event this season. 

“Girl, yes. I do this. I could do this with my eyes closed,” the Wimbledon doubles champion said. 

“It's always cool, because it's a team spirit. I never played team sports growing up. So like for me, I've always done so well in team environments because I'm a leader, so I really enjoy to create the atmosphere for my team and just to get everyone pumped up and fired up for the matches.” 

The Americans will face Slovakia in their opening showdown on Thursday, with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal against Australia. 

Townsend, who made her Team USA debut back in 2015, has some unfinished business with Siniakova, who together with Barbora Krejcikova, helped the Czechs beat the Americans with a doubles victory over Townsend and Danielle Collins in the Billie Jean King Finals last year. 

“I'm just looking forward honestly to representing my country, doing better than we did last year, because we played them (points to Siniakova) and just having a good time,” Townsend said. 

“I've never been to Malaga before, I know that it's on the beach, so I'm excited to see another city and just explore that. And more than anything, having some time off.”

The Billie Jean King Cup Finals follows a different format this year, which is a bracket of knockout matches as opposed to the round-robin schedule that had been in place.

“To be honest, I don't pay attention to any of that stuff. I show up and I play,” Townsend said. 

Katerina Siniakova

Just like her doubles partner, Siniakova says she has more than enough left in the tank for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. 

The Czechs have an opening-round bye in Malaga and await hosts Spain or Poland in the quarterfinals. 

A two-time Olympic gold medalist (women’s doubles in Tokyo 2020, mixed doubles in Paris 2024), and a Billie Jean King Cup champion in 2018, Siniakova thrives in national colors and her versatility means she can be asset in both singles and doubles. 

“I’m very excited, I’m very happy,” she said. “It’s a really long season and this is amazing that we can play the final here (in Riyadh) and then going to the Billie Jean King Cup.

“I love to represent my country. So I’m just really proud and happy. There were some things that were really tricky for me this year and I was able to get through them, so I’m really proud. 

“Representing my country is different anytime, everywhere I play. So it’s a really good atmosphere, a good team, I really enjoy it. I would say I’m relaxed because it’s a really big team, so I love it, it’s different from all tournaments we have. But definitely when you step on the court you feel more nervous because you play for the country. But definitely, I am happy, I am healthy, and I can still play, so I’m going to enjoy it.”

Gabriela Dabrowski

The Canadian clinched the doubles title in Riyadh alongside New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and will join her teammates in Malaga, where they are getting ready for their Billie Jean King Cup title defense. 

“It’s a lot of adrenaline,” said Dabrowski, who got to enjoy a day of sightseeing in Riyadh on Sunday, before flying out to Spain on Monday. 

“We’re a team here, and we’re a team there, so I feel very fortunate to be able to have this team feeling in the last few tournaments. It’s really, really cool and not something that I’ve always felt in my career, so I feel really grateful for that.”

The Canadians have a bye and will take on Germany or Great Britain in the quarterfinals, which will allow Dabrowski to unwind and regroup following her Riyadh win. 

The 32-year-old veteran played a key role in Canada’s run to the title last year, winning all three of her doubles matches along the way. 

“I revisit our semifinal doubles win, where Leylah [Fernandez] and I played Krejcikova and Siniakova of course,” Dabrowski said.  That to me is the one that stands out because I was on the court.

“But the clinching win that Leylah had against Paolini [in the final], that was huge, we were so happy. She played amazing, tactically it was so smart, so it was a very satisfying win. 

“Marina [Stakusic], first time playing Billie Jean King Cup at her young age, she totally stepped up and I think also being young and not having a ton of experience at the WTA, Billie Jean King Cup level, it was like a surprise factor and I think that threw some of the teams and her bringing her level in some of the biggest moments of her career was so cool to watch on the bench and we’re so proud of her. 

“I just can’t wait to hopefully recreate some of those moments.”

Special shoutout

Swiatek’s coach Wim Fissette is also holding off on his holiday plans as he flew from Riyadh straight to Guangzhou, where he will captain Team Belgium in their Billie Jean King Cup playoff tie against China.