Billie Jean King Cup 2025 play-offs: Indian tennis team’s qualifiers hopes ends with loss to Slovenia

The Indian women’s tennis team’s bid for a maiden qualifiers appearance ended after a 2-1 defeat to Slovenia in the Billie Jean King Cup 2025 play-offs at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.

India, 27th in the Billie Jean King Cup rankings, were drawn in Group G alongside world No. 14 Netherlands and 19th-ranked Slovenia.

Slovenia, who had edged the Netherlands 2-1 in the opening tie, topped the group to advance to the 2026 qualifiers, while India and the Netherlands dropped back into their respective Regional Group I events for 2026.

World No. 381 Shrivalli Bhamidipaty opened India’s campaign against 2021 French Open semi-finalist Tamara Zidansek, currently ranked 162nd in women’s singles.

The Indian tennis player fought hard but went down 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in two hours and 19 minutes.

Zidansek dictated early proceedings, racing to a 4-0 lead as Bhamidipaty struggled to find her range. The Indian broke back in the sixth game, but the Slovenian’s early advantage held as she closed out the set 6-3.

Bhamidipaty struck first in the second, breaking in the opening game and building a commanding 5-1 lead.

Zidansek pulled a break back in the eighth game but the Indian steadied herself to force a decider.

India’s top-ranked tennis player, Sahaja Yamalapalli, world No. 309, then lost 6-4, 6-2 to world No. 98 Kaja Juvan in one hour and 30 minutes.

The first set was evenly poised at 4-4 before Yamalapalli dropped serve in the ninth game, handing Juvan the edge.

The Slovenian maintained her momentum in the second set, breaking in the fourth and sixth games to clinch the tie for her team.

In the doubles rubber, Asian Games bronze medallist Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare got India on board with a 1-6, 6-3, 10-7 win over Dalila Jakupovic and Nika Radisic, denying Slovenia a clean sweep.

After going down quickly in the first set, Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare forced a tie-breaker with two breaks in the second set. The Indian tennis players then won three clutch points from 6-6 in the tie-breaker to go up 9-6 and then seal a win.

India will take on the Netherlands in a dead rubber on Sunday, with the Dutch team spearheaded by world No. 87 Suzan Lamens.

India had earned their spot in the play-offs after finishing second in the Asia-Oceania Group I event in April. Their only previous appearance at this stage came in 2021, when they lost 3-1 to Latvia away.

Formerly known as the Fed Cup, the Billie Jean King Cup is the premier international women’s team tennis competition and the counterpart to the men’s Davis Cup.

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