"This is extremely disappointing" - Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins face fan backlash for bailing out on American BJK Cup team

Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins faced criticism from tennis fans after they withdrew from the American team for the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers. The event is set to take place from April 10 to 13, 2025.

The Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers will consist of six groups, each made up of three nations. The six group winners will advance to play alongside host China and defending champions Italy at the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

The USA has been placed in Group C for the qualifiers, and they will compete against Slovakia and Denmark at the Peugeot Arena in Bratislava, Slovakia. On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced that Jessica Pegula, Danielle Collins, and McCartney Kessler, who were initially selected for the team, have withdrawn.

In their place, Alycia Parks, Bernarda Pera, and Hailey Baptiste have been named to the team. Asia Muhammad and Desirae Krawczyk will also be part of the American team, with Lindsay Davenport as the captain.

The news of Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins withdrawing from the American team for the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers drew various reactions from tennis fans, who shared their opinions on social media.

One fan expressed that it was "extremely disappointing" to see Pegula and Collins withdraw from the tournament.

"This is extremely disappointing... It hasn't been disclosed the reasons for withdrawing but I wish there was better promotion for Davis/Billie Jean King Cups.... the reason why Laver Cup is so much more popular now is because it runs circles around them as far as promotion goes," a fan posted.

Another fan mentioned that they believed Team USA's chances of advancing to the BJK Cup Finals had diminished following Pegula and Collins' withdrawal.

"Suddenly my prediction of the USA making it out of the group is looking shakier," a fan wrote.

"The whole roster flipped," a fan posted.

"Pegula withdrawing wouldn't be surprising other than the fact that she thought she'd play after the Charleston Final, it's probably wise to withdraw though. Kessler and Collins out is significant though. US probably won't make it through the group with the roster they now have," a fan wrote.

Here are some other fan reactions:

"We just had the Olympics so for the next 2 years they don’t care. When the cycle restarts for Olympic qualification they’ll all be fighting with each other for a spot," a fan posted.

"Does anyone care about this competition? These midseason competitions are dreadful," a fan wrote.

"it makes no sense to host BJK Cup this week on the calendar tbh," a fan posted.

In 2024, the American team suffered a 2-1 defeat to Slovakia in the first round of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

---

Where will Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins compete next?

Jessica Pegula at the 2025 Miami Open [Image Source: Getty Images]

Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins will next compete at the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, which is scheduled from April 12 to 21, 2025, on the indoor clay courts of Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany.

Jessica Pegula and Danielle Collins will enter the WTA 500 clay court tournament in Stuttgart following their runs at the North American swing. There, the World No.4 won two titles - the ATX Open and the Charleston Open. She also reached the final at the Miami Open, finishing as the runner-up, and made it to the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

Meanwhile, during the North American swing, Collins reached the quarterfinals at the Charleston Open, where she was the defending champion. She made it to the fourth round at the Miami Open and was eliminated in the third round at Indian Wells.

In addition to Jessica Pegula and Collins, players such as Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff, and more will compete at the 2025 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.