Eight Teams Compete in Shenzhen for the Women’s World Cup of Tennis, Backed by Microsoft’s Azure Solutions
Shenzhen, September 16, 2025 — The 2025 Billie Jean King Cup (BJK Cup) Finals officially kicked off today at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, marking the tournament’s debut in China. As the world’s premier women’s tennis team competition, this year’s event has drawn record participation from athletes representing 146 countries. Following intense preliminary rounds, eight teams—including China, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, the USA, Kazakhstan, Great Britan and Japan—have advanced to the finals.
As the global technology and innovation partner of the BJK Cup, Microsoft created the custom Match Insights solution, leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance the tournament experience and setting a new standard for AI-powered sports experiences.
“Going into the match, I expected my opponent to be playing fast – all the data and insights provided by Microsoft’s technology showed us that. I was able to adapt my strategy to this and ultimately win the match, sending our team to the semifinals. The Match Insights App helped me analyze opponent patterns and refine my strategy for each match, giving our team an edge in preparation and decision-making during the tournament.” Rebecca Šramková, a member of the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Slovakia team ever said.
Monica Robbins, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at Microsoft, said: “From our first days bringing real-time data courtside, our partnership with the BJK Cup has been about giving teams what they need to make smarter, faster decisions. As the event now takes center stage in China, we’re taking another step forward—using AI to reveal patterns and provide clear insights, so players and coaches can sharpen their strategy when it matters most. This is about empowering the sport with practical tools that drive performance where it’s needed.”
By integrating real-time data with AI-generated insights, Match Insights empowers athletes and coaches to make smarter decisions, enhancing both preparation and in-game performance. In line with the BJK Cup’s values of excellence, equality, and innovation, Microsoft remains committed to driving technological breakthroughs and helping every team unlock its full potential and competitive edge.
Chris Tao, Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft Greater China Region, said: “The BJK Cup is not only a pinnacle of women’s tennis, but also a stage for technological innovation. With cloud computing and advanced AI, Microsoft brings intelligence and vitality to the tournament. We believe that the fusion of technology and passion will inspire unprecedented brilliance on the court.
Cloud-Powered, Courtside-Driven: The Intelligent Evolution of the BJK Cup
As the world’s premier women’s tennis team competition with a legacy spanning over 60 years, the BJK Cup continues to evolve with the times, driving innovation in women’s tennis. In 2020, Microsoft became a global technology and innovation partner of the tournament, joining forces to explore the transformative role of technology in competitive sports.
“Microsoft is not only a global leader in technology solutions, but also a company that deeply aligns with our values and shares our commitment to advancing women’s sports,” said Billie Jean King, sports icon and equality champion. “From data analytics to real-time insights, Microsoft has delivered unprecedented technical support to the Billie Jean King Cup, reshaping how players prepare and how coaches make strategic decisions.”
Recognized as the most prestigious international women’s team event under the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the BJK Cup is also among the few tournaments that permit on-court coaching. This unique format raises the bar for real-time, precision-driven tactical decisions—where every millisecond of serve reaction and every subtle shift in shot angle can influence the outcome.
To meet this challenge, Microsoft developed the Match Insights solution to analyze and present critical gameplay data—including player movement, ball trajectories, shot accuracy, scoring trends, serve speed, and player data—in near real-time.
At the heart of Match Insights is a robust data architecture powered by Microsoft Cloud and AI technologies. By integrating data from tracking systems like Hawk-Eye and leveraging services such as Azure Data Lake, Azure SQL DB, and Azure AI Foundry, the platform ensures real-time speed, reliability, and security—empowering smarter, faster decision-making in competitive play.
Microsoft Surface devices further enhance the Match Insights experience by offering lightweight, hardware support. Whether courtside, in the locker room, or back at the hotel, teams can access real-time data anytime, enabling flexible pre-match preparation and post-match analysis.
AI Integration, Continuous Innovation: Enabling Global Intelligent Interaction
Focusing on technological innovation, Microsoft continuously enhances the data analytics and insight capabilities of its Match Insights platform, incorporating feedback from players and coaches throughout the tournament. In recent years, the platform has evolved in step with rapid AI advancements, empowering elite teams at the Billie Jean King Cup with increasingly intelligent, real-time decision-making at courtside.
During each match, Microsoft Azure processes over 300,000 data points from multiple sources, instantly generating more than 1,500 unique statistical combinations. AI models analyze this data in real time to produce actionable insights—such as serve placement, rally tendencies, and scoring patterns—helping coaches and players adjust strategies on the fly. The system also uncovers subtle patterns in player behavior, shot selection, and momentum shifts, and generates advanced analytics like rally effectiveness and serve win rates to support deeper tactical decisions.
“Match Insights fully integrates Microsoft’s AI technologies to generate deep analysis from real-time match data and transform it into clear, actionable insights,” said Jamie Capel-Davies, Head of Science and Technical at the International Tennis Federation.
This year, Microsoft is introducing new functionality that integrates the AI-powered search capabilities of Microsoft Copilot, further enhancing intelligent interactivity and global adaptability. With Copilot’s advanced multilingual natural language processing, players and coaches can ask tactical questions in their native language—such as “What was the opponent’s backhand error rate in the second set?” or “What are my serving tendencies on crucial points?” The system instantly interprets the query, extracts high-value insights from vast datasets, and delivers personalized, strategic recommendations.
By integrating Copilot into real-time dashboards, Match Insights streamlines match preparation and in-game decision-making, making advanced analytics more accessible and intuitive. This seamless AI experience empowers users worldwide to interact naturally with the system, bringing to life the vision of on-demand intelligence and fingertip strategy.
Accelerating Smart Sports: Microsoft Builds the Future of Competition with AI
According to a report by Global Market Insight[1], the global sports AI market reached $1.2 billion USD in 2024 and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14.7% from 2025 to 2034. From real-time tactical analysis to post-match review, from coaching strategies to in-game player adjustments, Microsoft is embedding AI and data capabilities into every facet of competition—empowering athletes to push boundaries and elevate performance.
As the sports industry enters a new era of intelligence and data-driven transformation, Microsoft continues to deepen its collaboration with top-tier global sporting events, powered by the real-time data processing and AI analytics capabilities of the Azure.
In July, Microsoft announced a strategic partnership with the Premier League, becoming its Official Cloud and AI Partner. The collaboration supports the modernization of the league’s digital infrastructure, match analysis, and operations—serving 1.8 billion fans across 189 countries and regions.
Together, Microsoft and the Premier League launched the “Premier League Companion” digital platform, powered by Copilot and Azure OpenAI. The platform integrates over 30 years of match data, 300,000 articles, and 9,000 video clips to deliver personalized content recommendations and intelligent interactive experiences for fans worldwide[2].
As one of the most widely watched sports leagues worldwide, the National Football League (NFL) has maintained a strategic partnership with Microsoft for more than a decade. Microsoft provides real-time data and analytics tools to all 32 clubs, supporting approximately 1,800 players and over 1,000 coaches and staff.
During the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, league coaches and scouts used an application powered by Microsoft Azure AI Foundry to analyze more than 300 prospects. The tool delivers real-time insights based on historical data within seconds, significantly enhancing the efficiency of talent evaluation[3].
Beyond the field, Microsoft has partnered with the BWT Alpine F1 Team to launch the global “Race Into STEM” initiative, aimed at inspiring more young women to pursue careers in motorsport through STEM education. Microsoft has developed a dedicated digital platform offering free online resources and learning tools to empower youth and promote gender diversity in tech education[4].
As intelligent sports continue to evolve, Microsoft remains committed to leveraging Azure, AI, and next-generation technologies to deliver deeper game insights and personalized digital experiences for coaches, athletes, and fans worldwide. Through close collaboration with global sports organizations, Microsoft is helping usher in a new era of intelligent, immersive, and inclusive sports—building a future that is more connected, data-driven, and inclusive.
[1] AI in Sports Market Size & Share, Statistics Report 2025-2034
[2] Premier League and Microsoft announce five-year strategic partnership to personalize the fan experience with AI for 1.8 billion people – Source
[3] NFL Combine gains real-time insights for informed draft day decisions with Azure AI | Microsoft Customer Stories
[4] Race into STEM with the women of BWT Alpine F1 team | Microsoft Learn