Fed Cup

Fed Cup, annual international team competition for women’s tennis. Created as the Federation Cup in 1963 by the International Tennis Federation, the Fed Cup draws competitors from as many as 100 different nations. The equivalent of the Fed Cup in men’s tennis is known as the Davis Cup.

The Fed Cup has been organized under various formats. The basic structure has the majority of countries play regional qualifying rounds, while the top countries (based on past performance and rankings) compete in the World Group. Teams that do well in World Group play enter the finals, which take place annually near the end of the year. Each Fed Cup contest, known as a tie, pits two countries against each other in a best-of-three or best-of-five match format. The winner of the final round takes possession of the Fed Cup trophy for one year.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) governs competition on all levels of Fed Cup play. The United States has dominated Fed Cup competition over the years, but Australia, Czechoslovakia, and Spain also have posted strong results.