Jasmine Paolini helps Italy win fifth Billie Jean King Cup
What's the story
Italy won the fifth Billie Jean King Cup title after a commanding 2-0 win over Slovakia.
Jasmine Paolini sealed the win for Italy after beating Rebecca Sramkova in a singles match - 6-2, 6-1.
She won the match after Lucia Bronzetti had earlier beaten Viktoria Hruncakova 6-2, 6-4.
Notably, Paolini was the runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon this year.
Road to victory
Italy's journey to the championship
The championship win in Malaga is Italy's first global title since 2013, after narrowly finishing second in last the 2023 final.
The road to the top included victories over Iga Swiatek's Poland and Japan.
This achievement caps off an incredible year for Paolini, who also made it to the finals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
Victory reflections
Paolini reflects on her triumphant year
Expressing her joy at the victory, Paolini said, "Unbelievable year, unbelievable, to finish like this with the Billie Jean King cup, it's amazing."
She added that she feels fortunate to be part of such a successful team.
The win was also celebrated by men's world number one, Jannik Sinner among other jubilant fans.
Final showdown
Slovakia's journey to the final
Despite the loss, Slovakia had an incredible run to the final, having beaten teams from the USA, Australia, and Great Britain.
Sramkova was disappointed but also praised Italy's performance. "I feel so sad now, disappointed, but all respect to (Italy), for what they did," she said.
This was their first defeat in a BJK Cup match in Spain since winning the competition in 2002.