Paolini seals victory as Italy retains the Billie Jean King Cup with dominant win over the US

SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Jasmine Paolini beat Jessica Pegula on the fourth match point as defending champion Italy won the Billie Jean King Cup with a comprehensive victory over the United States on Sunday.

Italy won both singles ties in straight sets, meaning there was no need for a decisive doubles match. The No. 8-ranked Paolini beat seventh-ranked Pegula 6-4, 6-2 after No. 91 Elisabetta Cocciaretto won 6-4, 6-4 against Emma Navarro, breaking her serve three times.

Paolini broke Pegula's serve with a two-hand backhand down the line to take the first set and move Italy closer to success at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena in China.

But with Paolini serving for the match at 5-1 she wavered a little. Pegula saved three match points and then two unforced errors from Paolini allowed Pegula to break back to 5-2 down.

A strong looping forehand gave Paolini — the runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon last year — a fourth match point and she took it, clinching victory when Pegula's two-handed backhand clipped the net and landed wide.

Paolini raised her arms in the air, then walked over to hug her teammates. All the staff members joined them on the court as they danced in a circle before celebrating with blue-shirted, flag-waving Italy fans.

Pegula and Navarro each came from a set down to defeat Britain and reach the final.

But not this time.

Italy boasted a doubles pairing of Olympic champions Paolini and Sara Errani, who also won the French Open doubles together this year. They would have faced Pegula and top-ranked doubles player Taylor Townsend in what might have been an exciting trophy decider.

The BJK Cup was formerly known as the Fed Cup, and the United States is the most successful team as an 18-time winner, but not since 2017.

Italy was contesting its third straight final and clinched its sixth title. The Americans’ previous final came in 2018.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Italy's tennis team celebrate on court after winning the Billie Jean King Cup final against the United States' team, at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena, in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Jasmine Paolini, of Italy celebrates after her team winning the Billie Jean King Cup final against United States, at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena, in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Italy's tennis team pose with the trophy on podium after winning the Billie Jean King Cup final against the United States, at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena, in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Emma Navarro, of the United States leaves the court after losing the Billie Jean King Cup final tennis match to Elisabetta Cocciaretto, of Italy, at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena, in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Elisabetta Cocciaretto, of Italy reacts after winning a break point against Emma Navarro, of the United States during the Billie Jean King Cup final tennis match, at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena, in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Jessica Pegula, of the United States reacts after losing a point to Jasmine Paolini, of Italy during the Billie Jean King Cup final tennis match, at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena, in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Italian supporters cheer after Jasmine Paolini, of Italy winning the first set against Jessica Pegula, of the United States during the Billie Jean King Cup final tennis match, at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena, in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Jasmine Paolini, of Italy returns a forehand shot to Jessica Pegula, of the United States during the Billie Jean King Cup final tennis match, at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center Arena, in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation on Saturday sought to reassure Denmark and Greenland of their support following President Donald Trump's threat to punish countries with tariffs if they don’t back the U.S. taking over the strategic Arctic island.

Delegation leader Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, said the current rhetoric around Greenland is causing concern across the Danish kingdom. He said he wants to de-escalate the situation.

“I hope that the people of the Kingdom of Denmark do not abandon their faith in the American people,” Coons said in Copenhagen, adding that the U.S. has respect for Denmark and NATO “for all we’ve done together.”

Meanwhile, Danish Major Gen. Søren Andersen, leader of the Joint Arctic Command, told The Associated Press that Denmark does not expect the U.S. military to attack Greenland, or any other NATO ally, and that European troops were recently deployed to Nuuk for Arctic defense training.

He said the goal isn’t to send a message to the Trump administration, even through the White House hasn’t ruled out taking the territory by force.

“I will not go into the political part, but I will say that I would never expect a NATO country to attack another NATO country,” he told the AP on Saturday aboard a Danish military vessel docked in Nuuk. “For us, for me, it’s not about signaling. It is actually about training military units, working together with allies.”

The Danish military organized a planning meeting Friday in Greenland with NATO allies, including the U.S., to discuss Arctic security on the alliance’s northern flank in the face of a potential Russian threat. The Americans were also invited to participate in Operation Arctic Endurance in Greenland in the coming days, Andersen said.

In his 2 1/2 years as a commander in Greenland, Andersen said he has not seen any Chinese or Russian combat vessels or warships despite Trump's claims that they were off the island's coast.

But in the unlikely event of American troops using force on Danish soil, Andersen confirmed a Cold War-era law governing Danish rules of engagement.

“But you are right that it is Danish law that a Danish soldier, if attacked, has the obligation to fight back,” he said.

Thousands of people marched through Copenhagen, many of them carrying Greenland’s flag, on Saturday afternoon in support of the self-governing island. Others held signs with slogans like “Make America Smart Again” and “Hands Off.”

“This is important for the whole world,” Danish protester Elise Riechie told The Associated Press as she held Danish and Greenlandic flags. “There are many small countries. None of them are for sale.”

Other rallies were planned in Nuuk, the Greenlandic capital, and elsewhere in the Danish kingdom.

Coons’ comments contrasted with that emanating from the White House. Trump has sought to justify his calls for a U.S. takeover by repeatedly claiming that China and Russia have their own designs on Greenland, which holds vast untapped reserves of critical minerals. The White House hasn’t ruled out taking the territory by force.

“There are no current security threats to Greenland,” Coons said.

Trump for months has insisted that the U.S. should control Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and said earlier this week that anything less than the Arctic island being in U.S. hands would be “unacceptable.”

During an unrelated event at the White House about rural health care, he recounted Friday how he had threatened European allies with tariffs on pharmaceuticals.

“I may do that for Greenland, too,” Trump said. “I may put a tariff on countries if they don’t go along with Greenland, because we need Greenland for national security. So I may do that,” he said.

He had not previously mentioned using tariffs to try to force the issue.

Earlier this week, the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met in Washington with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

That encounter didn’t resolve the deep differences, but did produce an agreement to set up a working group — on whose purpose Denmark and the White House then offered sharply diverging public views.

European leaders have insisted it is only for Denmark and Greenland to decide on matters concerning the territory, and Denmark said this week that it was increasing its military presence in Greenland in cooperation with allies.

“There is almost no better ally to the United States than Denmark,” Coons said. “If we do things that cause Danes to question whether we can be counted on as a NATO ally, why would any other country seek to be our ally or believe in our representations?”

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Niemann reported from Copenhagen, Denmark. Associated Press writer Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed to this report.

A patch of the Joint Arctic Command is seen on o jacket of Major General Søren Andersen standing onboard a military vessel HDMS Knud Rasmussen of the Royal Danish Navy docked in Nuuk, Greenland, on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

People gather for a pro- Greenlanders demonstration, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

People gather for a pro- Greenlanders demonstration, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

People march during a pro- Greenlanders demonstration, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Emil Helms/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

Icicles hang from the roof of the US consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Danish serviceman walks in front of Joint Arctic Command center in Nuuk, Greenland, on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Senator Chris Coons from the Democratic Party speaks during a press conference with the American delegation, consisting of senators and members of the House of Representatives, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)