Porsche Team Germany aiming to cause an upset at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals

In the Estadio de La Cartuja in Andalusia’s capital, team captain Rainer Schüttler will be pinning his faith in the players that secured the German Tennis Federation DTB a place in the finals of the prestigious competition. In addition to Tatjana Maria, he has also nominated Anna-Lena Friedsam, Laura Siegemund, Eva Lys and Jule Niemeier. They booked a ticket for Sevilla by beating Brazil in the Porsche Arena in April.

“The players all played brilliantly in Stuttgart and have earned the chance to continue their journey together in Sevilla,” says Rainer Schüttler. “The team has bonded over the few last matches and has developed a strong team spirit which, coupled with the quality of our tennis, will make us a tough opponent for every nation.”

Tatjana Maria, the No. 55, is Porsche Team Germany’s best placed player in the world rankings. The 2022 Wimbledon semifinalist this year won the WTA tournament in Bogota. Anna-Lena-Friedsam (No. 106) has chalked up a doubles win in Osaka. Laura Siegemund (No. 115), the winner of the 2017 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, has recently enjoyed a lot of success, mainly in doubles. This year she has claimed the titles at the WTA tournaments in Washington DC, Hobart and Ningbo. She was also the runner-up at the US Open, which she managed to win in 2022. Eva Lys (No. 119), the youngest team member at the age of 21, qualified this season for the US Open main draw for the first time. She then progressed to the second round in New York. Jule Niemeier’s (No. 146) biggest career achievement came when she reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2022.

Twelve best tennis teams

The world’s top 12 tennis teams will be competing in Sevilla for the title. In one of the four three-team groups, Porsche Team Germany will first take on Italy on 9 November and then France on 10 November. Each tie consists of two singles and one doubles. The four group winners will contest the semifinals on 11 November. The final will be played on 12 November.

“We’re for sure not the favourites in our group, but we’re looking forward to the challenge,” says Rainer Schüttler. His team has shown that it can compete with better ranked teams. “Our aim is, as an outsider, to cause an upset.”