Ukraine Dethrones Italy, Surges into First BJK Cup Final vs. Czechia

Elina Svitolina scored her twentieth BJK Cup win sending Ukraine into its maiden Closing.

Richard PagliaroSeptember 26, 20262 minute learn

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, September 26, 2026
Photograph credit score: Billie Jean King Cup/World Tennis

Enjoying for her nation’s first Billie Jean King Cup last, Elina Svitolina was in no temper to play the ready sport.

Svitolina swept Italian No. 1 Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2, sealing Ukraine’s 2-0 victory over Italy and its first journey to the Billie Jean King Cup finals.

Anhelina Kalinina staked Ukraine to a 1-0 lead with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 149th-ranked Tyra Caterina Grant to set the stage for Svitolina’s semifinal-clinching heroics.

Winless in 5 prior ties vs. Italy, Ukraine dethroned the two-time defending champions snapping Italy’s eight-match Billie Jean King Cup profitable streak.

Ukraine has now received seven of its final eight Billie Jean King Cup ties with its lone loss in that span coming to Tathiana Garbin’s Italian squad within the 2025 semifinals.

Captain Illya Marchenko has guided Ukraine to its maiden BJK Cup last because it grow to be the 18th nation to succeed in the ultimate and third first-time finalist because the introduction of the Billie Jean King Cup finals in 2021.

Ukraine will face No. 2-seeded Czechia in tomorrow’s last.

Eleven-time champion Czechia has not misplaced a match this week, defeating Spain, 2-0, within the semifinals after sweeping Nice Britain, 2-0, within the quarterfinals. Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova is undefeated in BJK Cup play this season.

Right this moment, a pointy Svitolina transformed 5 of seven break factors scoring her twentieth profession Billie Jean King Cup singles victory.