World Tennis: Cairo to Host Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup Junior Finals

World Tennis announced that Cairo, Egypt, will host the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Junior Finals and Davis Cup Junior Finals, marking a historic milestone for junior tennis, Egyptian tennis and the sport’s continued global expansion.

The Finals will be played Nov. 2-8 at Smash Sporting Club in Cairo. The venue has also hosted the World Tennis Tour Juniors J500 Cairo tournament since 2023.

The Billie Jean King Cup Junior Finals and Davis Cup Junior Finals are the premier official nations competitions for players aged 16 and under. Each event brings together the top 16 girls’ teams and top 16 boys’ teams from around the world following regional qualifying.

The United States will arrive in Cairo as the defending champion in both events after winning the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Junior Finals and Davis Cup Junior Finals in Santiago, Chile.

Above: Ksenia Efremova. Photo credit: Mouratoglou Tennis Academy.

The junior team competitions have long served as an early stage for future stars. Previous winning teams have featured Rafael Nadal, Ashleigh Barty, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff, Joao Fonseca and Iva Jovic.

Several recent participants have already made major moves in the junior game. Ksenia Efremova of France, a Billie Jean King Cup Junior runner-up in 2025, won the Australian Open girls’ singles title this year. Jordan Lee of the United States, a Davis Cup Junior champion last year, won the Wimbledon boys’ singles title.

As host nation, Egypt’s boys’ and girls’ teams automatically qualify for the 2026 Finals. Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States have already qualified teams in both events. Kazakhstan, Morocco and India have qualified for the Davis Cup Junior Finals, while Chinese Taipei, Korea and Tunisia have qualified for the Billie Jean King Cup Junior Finals.

The remaining teams will be confirmed after regional qualifying, with European qualifying scheduled for Aug. 3-5 and South American qualifying scheduled for Aug. 3-8.

Above: Jordan Lee. Photo credit: Daniel Kopatsch / USTA.

The Finals will begin with four round-robin groups of four teams over the first three days of competition. After a rest day, the tournament will move into knockout stages over the final three days.

David Haggerty, President of World Tennis, called the Cairo announcement a major moment for the sport.

"Our vision is to provide a world of opportunities through tennis by growing the sport all over the globe in new and existing locations," Haggerty said. "Taking the Billie Jean King Cup Junior and Davis Cup Junior Finals to Cairo for the first time is part of that and these events present a fantastic engagement opportunity for us."

"This is a historic moment, not only for Egyptian tennis, but also for tennis in Africa and the Middle East," Haggerty added. "We are confident that Cairo will be a superb host city for this event, giving players the opportunity to create lifelong memories both on and off the court."

Ismail El Shafei, President of the Egyptian Tennis Federation, said hosting the event is a significant milestone for Egypt and the continent.

"This is a great honour for our country and a historic milestone for our continent, as it marks the first time that Africa will host these prestigious world junior team championships," El Shafei said.

El Shafei said the Egyptian Tennis Federation and Smash Sporting Club are committed to delivering a high-level event for the world’s top 16-and-under players.

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Source: World Tennis.

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