The Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group I in New Delhi had a little bit of everything. There was pressure from the first day, there were close ties, there were unexpected turns, and there was even drama on the final afternoon. When it all ended, Thailand and Indonesia were the two teams to move into the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs. India finished third, Korea Republic fourth, while New Zealand and Mongolia ended fifth and sixth and were relegated to Group II for 2027.
For India, the story really began before the event had even started. Shrivalli Bhamidipaty was unavailable because of a back injury, and that was a major setback for the hosts. The reason was simple. The last time India made it through to the Play-offs, in Pune in 2025, Shrivalli had been one of the biggest reasons for it. She won five out of five singles matches in that Group I campaign and played a huge role in helping India get through in the play-offs for the 2nd time in the history. Going into New Delhi without that kind of singles certainty was always going to make things harder. Vaidehee Chaudhari was also unavailable after twisting her ankle, which made things even more difficult for India.
India felt that absence throughout the week. The host opened their campaign with a 1-2 loss to Thailand, then bounced back strongly to beat New Zealand 3-0. But the biggest setback came in the 0-3 defeat to Indonesia, a tie that gave the visitors a real lift and left India with very little room for error after that. The hosts did beat Mongolia 3-0 and then ended with a 2-1 win over Korea Republic, but by then it was not enough to break into the top two.
India needed a 3-0 win over Korea Republic on the final day to stay in the hunt for qualification, with other results also needing to fall in their favour. In a bold move, captain Vishal Uppal made a surprise call by sending doubles specialist Ankita Raina for the opening singles rubber, hoping India could get the start they needed. But Korea Republic took that point, as Dayeon Back beat Ankita 6-1 7-5 in straight sets. Vaishnavi Adkar then responded brilliantly by beating Sohyun Park 7-6(2) 7-6(5), and India eventually won the tie 2-1 after taking the doubles as well. It was a good finish, but not a good enough one. India ended with three wins and two losses, which placed them above Korea, who finished fourth, but still behind the top two.
At the top, the story was dramatic in a different way. Indonesia looked like the strongest team for most of the week. They stayed unbeaten until the last day and had the highest-ranked player in the field in Janice Tjen, who turned out to be the standout singles player of the tournament. Tjen won all of her singles matches during the week, and on the last day she again did her part by beating Anchisa Chanta 6-2 6-4 after Indonesia had fallen 0-1 behind against Thailand. But that tie still slipped away from them. Thailand had taken the lead when Priska Madelyn Nugroho retired early in the opening singles, and after Tjen levelled things, the Thai pair of Patcharin Cheapchandej and Anchisa Chanta won the deciding doubles in straight sets. That gave Thailand a 2-1 win and with it the top spot, while Indonesia, despite winning more matches, had to settle for second.
So that is how the final order took shape. Thailand finished first because they beat Indonesia in the head – to – head tie on the last day. Indonesia finished second because, apart from that defeat, they had been the best team across the week. India finished third because their three wins put them ahead of Korea. Korea ended fourth, while New Zealand’s win over Mongolia on the final day lifted them to fifth and left Mongolia sixth.
For Thailand and Indonesia, New Delhi ended on a high. Thailand raised their level when it mattered the most, while Indonesia was driven all week led by the top ranked player of the tournament, Jenice Tjen. In the end, the two teams fully deserved the promotion places. And for the others, this week was once again a sign of how close and competitive women’s tennis in Asia has become.
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