The American multinational corporation and tech company, Microsoft has announced a renewed partnership with the Billie Jean King Cup, the premier international team competition in women’s tennis.
The agreement extends the tech company’s role as the competition’s global technology and innovation partner for the next three seasons, covering the period from 2024 to 2026.
This builds upon a successful partnership that began in September 2020, following the tournament’s name change from Fed Cup to Billie Jean King Cup. Since then, the software giant has played a key role in providing cutting-edge data analysis tools to teams during the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
The partnership centres on a data dashboard powered by Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform. This platform provides teams with crucial information such as player movement, ball and shot tracking, and detailed scoring data. Accessible through Microsoft Surface tablets, this data empowers coaches to develop strategic plans before matches and analyze performance afterwards.
Looking ahead, the partnership aims to further develop the technological solutions employed by the Billie Jean King Cup. This includes the potential integration of artificial intelligence for real-time in-game analysis and insights. Additionally, both parties will explore innovative ways to share this data with fans, enriching their viewing experience.
Billie Jean King Cup Ltd, Chair, Ilana Kloss, said, “Microsoft was one of the first partners to join the event when it was rebranded as the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020 and we are delighted to renew our successful partnership for another three years. As the world’s most popular women’s annual team event with 138 nations entered in 2024, our focus is on providing our global community of women’s tennis players, fans and advocates with a unique and innovative experience. Microsoft is a world leader in tech solutions and a company that shares our values and goals for the growth and promotion of women’s sport.”
Monica Robbins, Director of Sports Partnerships at Microsoft, said, “We are excited to continue working with the Billie Jean King Cup to empower athletes and coaches through access to the data and AI-generated insights that can drive their decision-making. In the spirit of the competition and the legacy of the Billie Jean King Cup, we look forward to continuing to innovate and help teams find their competitive edge.”
ITF President David Haggerty, said, “Microsoft has been an integral part of the success of the first three editions of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, and we are pleased that our partnership will continue for the next three years. The feedback from players and captains has been extremely positive, and we look forward to further innovations from the Microsoft team over the next three years.”
Microsoft, a leading American tech company founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, is headquartered in Redmond, Washington. The tech leader is most famous for the Windows operating system and Microsoft Office productivity suite.
Recently, the American multinational corporation and technology company announced its association with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, Connecticut Sun.
The Billie Jean King Cup, formerly the Federation Cup, is the biggest annual team competition in women’s tennis. Launched in 1963, it allows nations to battle it out on the court. Over 130 countries participate, making it the world’s largest women’s international team sporting event. The competition honours tennis legend Billie Jean King, a champion for equality both on and off the court.