Pakistan’s women ended a landmark week for tennis in the country as runners-up on Saturday, as Iran defeated the hosts in the Billie Jean King Cup final at the PTF Tennis Complex in Islamabad to win the Asia/Oceania Group III (Zone B) title.
Iran’s victory earns them the zone’s single promotion place, and they will play in Asia/Oceania Group II in 2027. For Pakistan, reaching a first final on home soil, in the first Billie Jean King Cup event the country has ever hosted, closes a week that has put women’s team tennis firmly in the national spotlight.
How Pakistan reached the final
The hosts topped Pool A with three wins from three ties. They opened on Wednesday with a 3-0 sweep of Bahrain, as Ushna Suhail beat Hajar Zaidan 6-0, 6-0 in the opening singles and Pakistan recorded their first Billie Jean King Cup win on home soil. A second 3-0 win followed against Bhutan on Thursday: Ushna beat Tandin Dorji 6-0, 6-0, Mahin Aftab Qureshi beat Tenzin Wangsel Lhaden 6-0, 6-0, and the young doubles pairing of Romaisa Malik and Hajra Sohail completed the sweep with a 6-1, 6-4 win.
Friday’s deciding tie against top seeds Maldives was the week’s toughest test, and Pakistan’s senior pair settled it in the singles. Ushna beat Keyara Usama 6-2, 6-3, before Mahin produced the most one-sided win of the tie, beating Aishath Karin Saizan 6-1, 6-0 to seal a 2-1 victory. Maldives took the doubles point, with Saizan and Nayara Usama Ali beating Malik and Hajra Sohail 6-4, 6-4, but the tie was already Pakistan’s, and with it a place in the Billie Jean King Cup final.
Iran win the Billie Jean King Cup final and promotion to Group II
Iran arrived in the final as the form team of the week. They won all nine rubbers in their group ties, sweeping Kuwait 3-0 on the opening day, Jordan 3-0 on Thursday and Qatar 3-0 on Friday. Yasaman Yazdani set the tone throughout, including a 6-0, 6-0 win over Qatar’s Dana Khalifa, while Kimia Sagheb Tehrani, Meshkatolzahra Safi and Hana Soltani shared the remaining singles and doubles wins.
On Saturday, Iran completed their perfect week by beating the hosts in the final, a result that confirms them as Group III (Zone B) champions and sends them up to Asia/Oceania Group II for 2027. It is an immediate return to the higher level for Iran, who had dropped down from Group II in 2025. Pakistan, meanwhile, take the runners-up place in an eight-nation event, and their three group wins included a victory over the top seeds.
A landmark week for tennis in Pakistan
The tournament ran from October 21 to 24 at the Pakistan Tennis Federation Complex on Garden Avenue, with eight nations taking part: Bahrain, Bhutan, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Maldives, Pakistan and Qatar. Pakistan Tennis Federation president Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and secretary general Colonel Zia-ud-Din Tufail (retired) said hosting the event reflected Pakistan’s commitment to developing tennis, particularly the women’s game, and the week began with an opening ceremony at the complex on Tuesday after the captains’ meeting, draw and trophy reveal.
The hard courts on Garden Avenue have had a busy year. Earlier this season the same venue staged the W15 Islamabad tournament, where France’s Astrid Cirotte lifted the singles title, and the federation will hope the sight of a home team contesting an international final brings more young players into the sport.
Plenty to build on for Pakistan
The campaign leaned on experience and youth in equal measure. Ushna Suhail, the highest-ranked female player in Pakistan’s tennis history, and Mahin Aftab Qureshi won every singles rubber they played during the group stage, while debutants Romaisa Malik and Hajra Sohail picked up senior team experience in the doubles and shared a win against Bhutan. Pakistan stay in Asia/Oceania Group III for 2027, but they now know the standard required, having measured themselves against a side fresh from the group above.
The tennis team’s run also fits a rich stretch for Pakistani sport, with the junior hockey team’s big wins at the Sultan of Johor Cup and a recent international football title for Pakistan making headlines in the same period. A Billie Jean King Cup final in front of home supporters belongs in that company, and whatever the result on the day, this week has given Pakistan’s women a stage, a standard and a story to build on.
Sources
- The News: Pakistan, Iran set up BJK Cup final showdown
- Wikipedia: 2026 Billie Jean King Cup (Group III results and promotions)
- Sports Bulletin: Pakistan and Iran set to meet in BJK Cup Asia/Oceania Group III Final
- Featured photo: Members of the Pakistan women’s tennis team in Islamabad during the tournament week. Photo: X@Muneeb313_ via The News
Umar is an engineer by profession and a passionate writer by passion. He has a deep interest in sharing good news related to Pakistan and has been working hard to promote the positive image of his homeland. Umar has written numerous articles on various topics related to Pakistan, such as technology, sports, culture, and economy.