Czech Republic were crowned Junior Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas champions for the fifth time in their history after defeating Japan in a one-sided final at the 2021 event in Club Mega Saray in Antalya, Turkey.
The Finals, which featured 16 national teams in both the girls' and boys' (Junior Davis Cup) competitions - provided the stage for some of the finest 16-and-under tennis talent to play as part of a team and represent their nations.
HISTORY
The International Team Competition for players aged 16 & under was launched by the ITF in 1985 as the 'World Youth Cup' with NEC as the title sponsor between 1988 and 2001.
In 2002 the ITF re-branded the boys competition as part of a new partnership with BNP Paribas to 'Junior Davis Cup by BNP Paribas'. The girls' competition was also changed to 'Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas' in 2005, before becoming the Junior Billie Jean King Cup - in line with the re-branding of the women's professional team event - in 2020.
From its inaugural year in 1985 when 44 nations took part in regional qualifying with the top 16 boys' and 16 girls' teams moving through to the Final in Kobe, Japan, the competition has gone from strength to strength. The number of participants has grown to around 100 nations each year.
Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime (Canada 2015), Iga Swiatek (Poland 2016) and Coco Gauff (USA 2018) are just some of the current stars to have won the titles with their national team in previous years.