Article by Roxana Fleşeru – Published Monday, November 17, 2025 7:54 p.m. / Updated Monday, November 17, 2025 8:25 p.m.
Romania's BJK Cup team will perform in 2026 in the third echelon of the team competition, Group I Europe/Africa, where it has not been since 2014.
Romania's Billie Jean King Cup team, which included Gabriela Lee, Ruxandra Bertea, Mara Gae and Monica Niculescu, took second place in Group B of the play-off, beating New Zealand 3-0 and losing 0-3 to Poland.
This ranking takes the Romanian team to Group I Europe/Africa, the third echelon of the team competition, where it has not been since 2014.
For eleven years, the “tricolors” kept the team among the best in the world. The promotion from Group I Europe/Africa took place in 2014, in Budapest, after nine years spent in this echelon and where the team formed by Simona Halep, Sorana Cîrstea and Monica Niculescu passed Hungary, Great Britain, Latvia and Ukraine.
Then, the Romanian team oscillated between the two World Groups, reaching the best result of all time for our country, the semifinals in 2019, where it was defeated by France 3-2, equaling the performance achieved at its debut, in 1973, when it lost to South Africa.
Romania has participated in the team competition since 1973 and has reached the quarter-finals 6 times: in 1974, 1978, 1980, 1981 and 2016.
Romania plays in April 2026
In 2026, Romania will have a difficult mission in April, when it will play in Group I Europe/Africa alongside Denmark, Slovakia, Croatia, Portugal, Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands, Georgia, Norway, France, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia and Sweden.
These teams will be divided into four groups following a draw, and the top teams will play a promotion play-off, after which the winners will advance to the play-off for qualification to the BJK Finals. The bottom placed teams will contest a relegation play-off in Group II Europe/Africa, and the losers will be relegated, while the winning teams will remain in this echelon in 2027 as well.
The path of the Romanian team since it ascended to the elite
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YEAR » STAGE » MATCH AND SCORE » HOST CITY » NON-PLAYING CAPTAIN
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2014 » Playoff World Group II » Romania-Serbia 3-2 » Bucharest » Alina Tecșor-Cercel
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2015 » World Group II » Romania-Spain 3-2 » Galați » Alina Tecșor-Cercel
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2015 » World Group Playoff » Canada-Romania 2-3 » Montreal » Alina Tecșor-Cercel
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2016 » World Group, “quarters” » Romania-Czech Republic 2-3 » Cluj-Napoca » Alina Tecșor-Cercel
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2016 » World Group Playoff » Romania-Germany 1-4 » Cluj-Napoca » Alina Tecșor-Cercel
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2017 » World Group II » Romania-Belgium 1-3 » Bucharest » Ilie Năstase
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2017 » Play-off World Group II » Romania-Great Britain 3-2 » Constanța » Ilie Năstase
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2018 » World Group II » Romania-Canada 3-1 » Cluj-Napoca » Florin Segărceanu
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2018 » World Group Playoff » Romania-Switzerland 3-1 » Cluj-Napoca » Florin Segărceanu
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2019 » World Group, “quarters” » Czech Republic-Romania 2-3 » Ostrava » Florin Segărceanu
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2019 » World Group, semi-finals » France-Romania 3-2 » Rouen » Florin Segărceanu
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2020 » World Group, qualifications » Romania-Russia 2-3 » Cluj-Napoca » Florin Segărceanu
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2021 » World Group Playoff » Romania-Italy 1-3 » Cluj-Napoca » Monica Niculescu
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2022 » World Group, qualifications » Poland-Romania 4-0 » Radom » Horia Tecau
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2022 » Play-off » Romania-Hungary 4-0 » Oradea » Horia Tecau
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2023 » Qualifications for BJK Finals » Romania-Slovenia 2-3 » Koper » Horia Tecau
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2023 » Play-off » Romania-Serbia 4-0 » Kraljevo » Horia Tecau
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2024 » Qualifications for BJK Finals » Romania-Ukraine 3-2 » Amelia Island » Horia Tecau
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2024 » BJK Finals, round 1 » Romania-Japan 1-2 » Malaga » Horia Tecau
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2025 » Qualifications, group A » Romania-Canada 0-3, Romania-Japan 0-3 » Tokyo » Horia Tecau
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2025 » Play-off, Group B » Romania-New Zealand 3-0, Romania-Poland 0-3 » Gorzów Wielkopolski » Alexandra Dulgheru
