New Delhi, April 5 (NationPress) As the Indian women’s tennis squad prepares to represent the nation at the forthcoming Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group I event, renowned tennis champion Sania Mirza has urged the team to compete with immense pride and full dedication.

The 2026 Billie Jean King Cup (BJKC) Asia/Oceania Group I event will take place at the DLTA Stadium in New Delhi from April 7 to 11. In advance of the tournament's commencement, Sania took a moment to extend her support to the team.

The Indian roster features players Ankita Raina, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaishnavi Adkar, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Rutuja Bhosale, and Vaidehee Chaudhari.

“Hello everyone, I want to wish the Billie Jean King Cup Indian team the very best. With the tournament starting in just a few days, it’s a tremendous honor to represent our incredible country. I hope all of you give your best effort, put in 100%, and bring home a victory. We are all cheering for you,” the three-time Grand Slam winner expressed.

Often regarded as the World Cup of women’s tennis, this tournament will feature six nations competing in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs set for November 2026.

Besides the host nation, other competing teams in the Asia/Oceania Group I are Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, and Thailand.

India approaches this competition with enthusiasm, having achieved notable victories at last year’s BJK Cup Asia & Oceania Group I Qualifiers, where they triumphed with 2–1 wins against Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, and the Republic of Korea.

With New Zealand, Indonesia, and Mongolia also in the mix this year, India aims to secure a top-two finish to maintain its aspirations for the World Group.

As the team gears up for the qualifiers, their primary focus is on performance and taking significant strides toward a return to the World Group for the third time.

The Asia/Oceania Group I event forms part of the fourth tier of the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge, with simultaneous Regional Group I competitions occurring across Europe/Africa and the Americas during the same week.

In total, seven teams from the worldwide Regional Group I events will qualify for the play-offs, where they will compete against the seven teams that did not advance from the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers. The tournament will adopt a single round-robin format, allowing all teams to face one another throughout the five-day event.