Featured image credit: Ricardo Ricote Rodríguez/CC BY 3.0 DEED/Edited for size
This year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals will relocate from Seville to nearby Malaga, which is already scheduled to host the finale of the men’s Davis Cup.
The two events will now run alongside each other at Malaga’s Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena, an indoor facility with a capacity of 11,300.
The dates for the two tournaments will remain unchanged, with the BJK Cup Finals running from November 13-20 and the Davis Cup Final 8 running from November 19-24.
Seville is unable to host the BJK Cup Finals due to the start of renovation work at the city’s Estadio de la Cartuja, which staged the event in 2023. Earlier this year, Juanma Moreno, president of the regional government of Andalucía, detailed how a redeveloped Estadio da la Cartuja would appear as a host venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, and renovation work is set to begin this week.
The relocation of the BJK Cup Finals was required by the event’s host partner, Junta de Andalucía, and supported by the City of Malaga. All existing ticket holders for the BJK Cup Finals in Seville have been offered the chance to exchange their tickets for the same sessions in Malaga or receive a full refund.
Ilana Kloss, chair of Billie Jean King Cup Ltd, said: “Our priority is to ensure the Billie Jean King Cup Finals continue seamlessly as the most exciting and unique women’s team tennis tournament on the 2024 calendar.
“Malaga, just 130 miles from Sevilla, has been a fantastic host of the Davis Cup Final 8 since 2022 and we know that its world-class facilities and passionate fans will help create another unique and memorable world championship.”
Kelly Fairweather, chief executive of the International Tennis Federation, added: “We remain dedicated to ensuring a seamless experience for players and fans and delivering an event that will be both special and memorable. We are confident that this move will uphold the prestigious legacy of both tournaments and look forward to hosting the world’s best 20 teams, their players and fans to Malaga this November.”
Seville was awarded hosting rights for the 2023 and 2024 BJK Cup Finals in May last year as part of a deal with the ITF. The deal included an option to extend into 2025. Last year’s Finals at Estadio de la Cartuja marked the first time Spain had hosted the event since 2008.
Malaga hosted the knockout stages of the Davis Cup Finals in 2022 and 2023. The city was awarded hosting rights for the 2024 edition following the conclusion of last year’s event.
In November, Andalucía detailed plans to make a €20m (£16.8m/$21.9m) investment in La Cartuja, with a view to transforming it into Spain’s “national stadium”. The current capacity of the stadium is 57,600 and this could be expanded to 75,000.
This week, Arturo Bernal, Andalucía’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, said that renovation work will begin this week, leaving the stadium unavailable to host the BJK Cup Finals.
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