Coco Gauff and Madison Keys Express Pride as Team USA’s 19th BJK Cup Dream Inches Closer to Reality
Though absent from the court, Coco Gauff and Madison Keys showed full support as Team USA advanced to the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, keeping their dream of a 19th title alive.
Gauff, who once described the “goosebumps” of being the U.S. flag bearer at the Paris Olympics, and Keys, still recovering from her Charleston Open campaign, both withdrew from this year’s squad. However, their pride was clear on social media after Team USA clinched wins over Denmark and Slovakia over the weekend.
Hailey Baptiste and Bernarda Pera led the charge for the U.S. In the first round, Baptiste defeated Denmark’s Rebecca Munk Mortensen 6-1, 6-4, and Pera followed with a dominant 6-3, 6-1 win over Johanne Svendsen. Krawczyk and Muhammad sealed the 3-0 sweep in doubles.
Against Slovakia, Team USA faced a tougher test. Baptiste opened with a confident 6-3, 6-4 win, and Pera secured a hard-fought 7-6(2), 7-5 victory over Rebecca Sramkova, clinching Group C and a spot in the Finals.
Gauff reposted a celebratory BJK Cup post on Instagram, while Keys added a flex emoji and U.S. flag to show her excitement. Jessica Pegula and Taylor Townsend joined in, with Pegula praising Pera’s performance and Townsend posting, “Sweet revenge 💪🏽👑” — a nod to last year’s loss to Slovakia.
U.S. captain Lindsay Davenport praised her squad: “I ended up with players who really wanted to be here and play for their country. To see both Hailey and Bernarda rise to the occasion was something I’m really proud of.”
Team USA now heads to the Finals in Shenzhen, China (September 16–21), where they’ll join Italy, China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Spain, Great Britain, and Japan.
Gauff’s Personal Season Faces Setbacks
While Gauff began 2025 strong with a title win at the United Cup, her momentum has since faded. After reaching the Australian Open quarterfinals, she suffered early exits in Doha, Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami, dropping to World No. 4 and ceding her top U.S. ranking to Pegula.
Legendary coach Rick Macci has voiced concerns over Gauff’s forehand and second serve, warning her struggles “might get worse before better unless a science-based approach is used.” Still, he remains optimistic about her long-term potential.
Gauff will begin her European clay season at the WTA 500 in Stuttgart, where she awaits the winner of Tatjana Maria vs. Ella Seidel. With potential matchups against Jasmine Paolini and Aryna Sabalenka looming, fans hope this marks the start of a much-needed turnaround.
