Paolini Clinches Italy’s Sixth BJK Cup Championship Defeating Team USA – Tennis Now
By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, September 21, 2025
Photo credit: Billie Jean King Cup Facebook
Jasmine Paolini lit up the lines to carry Italy across the finish line.
Two-time Slam finalist Paolini surged through eight of the final 10 games stopping Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-2 to give Italy an insurmountable 2-0 lead over the United States in today’s Billie Jean King Cup final at Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre Arena in Shenzhen, China.
Paolini completed an undefeated week in Shenzhen powering Italy to its sixth Billie Jean King Cup championship, including its second straight title.
Captain Tathiana Garbin’s team is the first nation to successfully defend the Billie Jean King Cup crown since Czechia in 2016.
“It’s even more special than last year,” Paolini said. “Honestly I didn’t expect this.”
Elisabetta Cocciaretto made an immediate impact to lift Italy to a 1-0 lead in today’s opener.
Cocciaretto broke in the opening game and was the aggressor throughout, defeating Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-4 to stake Italy to the lead.
“It was an unbelievable match for me,” said Cocciaretto in her on-court interview. “I know that I had to play my best tennis.
“I’m really happy about the performance and the point that I gave to Italy.”
Navarro has made a habit of coming back from deficits throughout this Billie Jean King Cup competition and did it again opening a 4-2 second-set lead.
That was merely a prelude to Cocciaretto charging through four games in a row sealing a crucial victory in 89 minutes.
Team USA was seeking its 19th BJK Cup championship and Captain Lindsay Davenport had a confident Pegula up next in a battle of the teams’ top players.
World No. 7 Pegula took the court armed with a perfect 5-0 record vs. Paolini sweeping all 10 sets the pair had played.
None of that past history mattered much to Paolini, who saved the first break point of the match with a wide serve, eventually holding for 3-2.
Deadlocked at 4-all, Paolini rose up in a critical ninth game.
Facing break point, Paolini prevailed in a crackling 29-shot rally lacing a forehand winner down the line to reach deuce. Paolini stood tall denying three break points in all in a furious 12-minute hold for 5-4.
That game drained Pegula, who sent a forehand wide to face her first break point—and set point—in the 10th game. Punctuating a 16-shot rally, Paolini punched a clean backhand winner down the line snatching a one-set lead in 48 minutes.
Though Pegula broke to start the second set, Paolini responded with a love break sparking a run of five straight games for a 5-1 lead.
Digging in, Pegula saved three championship points to break back for 2-5.
On her fourth championship point, Paolini induced an errant backhand to close. The Italian squad swarmed Paolini in a celebratory group hug as champions again.
