Jessica Pegula got bounced by Jasmine Paolini and the United States once again lost a final in the 21st century.
After Emma Navarro was upset by Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the opening match of the final, it was up to world No. 7 Pegula to save the day for the American team. But the 2024 US Open finalist didn't play her best as Paolini routed her 6-4 6-2 to seal Italy's triumph.
Through the opening nine games of the match, no breaks were seen. But then, Paolini earned the first break in the 10th game when Pegula was serving to stay in the first set. After dropping the opener, the American started the second set with a break, but still easily lost the set after dropping her serve three times in the rest of the set.
By beating the United States, Italy completed back-to-back Billie Jean King Cup triumphs. They now have six titles in the competitions and all have come since 2006.
On the other side, the United States failed to win its first Billie Jean King Cup title since 2017. While they own a record 18 Billie Jean King Cup titles, they have lost 2-5 in the finals played in the 21st century.
Cocciaretto, Paolini stepped up against Navarro and Pegula
Cocciaretto, who is ranked at No. 91 in the world, couldn't hide her happiness after putting Italy in front early.
It was an unbelievable match for me. I know that I had to play my best tennis. Im really happy about the performance and the point that I gave to Italy," Cocciaretto said after upsetting Navarro.
Going into the match against Paolini, Pegula had a perfect 5-0 record against the Italian. But today, the 31-year-old American delivered her worst performance against the Italian, and the United States paid the ultimate price for that.
