Belgium Beats USA to Advance to BJK Cup Finals

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, April 11, 2026
Photo credit: Benoit Doppagne/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Image

Superior singles play propelled Belgium past the United States into the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

Veteran Greet Minnen defeated 18-year-old American Iva Jovic 7-5, 6-3 giving host Belgium an insurmountable 3-1 Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier lead over the USA on the red clay of the Coretec Dome in Ostend, Belgium today.

Belgium is one of seven winning nations from this weekend’s qualifier. All seven teams advance to the Billie Jean King Finals in Shenzhen in September where they will compete alongside host nation China.

Belgium joins Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Spain and Ukraine advancing to the Finals. Switzerland and Czechia are facing off for the last spot in September’s Finals.

The United States will play in the 2026 Playoffs in November, alongside the seven best-performing nations from the three Regional Group I events. The seven winners from the Playoffs will advance to the 2027 Qualifiers for a shot to compete in the 2027 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

Singles wins by Elise Mertens and Hanne Vandewinkel yesterday gave Belgium a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five-match Qualifier. The host took the red clay today knowing it needed just one win to secure a spot in Shenzhen.

The American doubles team of Caty McNally and Nicole Melichar-Martinez kept U.S. hopes alive defeating Magali Kempen and Mertens, 6-4, 6-2, in today’s opening doubles match to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

Enter Minnen, who was coming off a WTA 75K Challenger final last week.

The 28-year-old Minnen kept the ball moving side-to-side and played patient clay-court tennis building a one-set, 5-2 lead.

Though the 16th-ranked Jovic broke back for 3-5, Minnen broke in the following game to end a one hour, 47-minute victory and seal Belgium’s spot in the Finals.

The United States’ defeat comes seven months after it lost to defending-champion Italy in the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen.

Jasmine Paolini defeated Jessica Pegula to clinch the 2025 Cup. 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 became the first nation to successfully defend the Billie Jean King Cup crown since Czechia in 2016.