Puerto Rico names four-player squad for Billie Jean King Cup Americas Group II
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
By THE STAR STAFF
The Puerto Rico Tennis Association (PRTA) has announced the team that will represent the Island at the Billie Jean King Cup Americas Group II, scheduled for July 1-4, 2026, in Paraguay, where eight nations will compete for promotion to the Americas Group I in 2027.
Puerto Rico’s roster features four standout players currently competing at the collegiate and junior levels: Lauren Kettlewell Sotomayor - (Boston University – NCAA), the 2026 Puerto Rico national champion and 2025 national runner-up; Siena Love Schintler, who will begin her studies at Brown University this fall. She is the Caribbean’s top-ranked junior player and the 2026 national doubles champion; Daniella O’Neill García, (Liberty University – NCAA), the 2025 national champion, an accomplished international competitor, and an All-CUSA honoree and Natalia Pérez, (Tulane University – NCAA), a former regional No. 1 player with a career-high ITF junior ranking of No. 118. She previously represented Puerto Rico in the Billie Jean King Cup in 2021 and 2025.
The Puerto Rican squad will be captained by Daniel Caballero, head of the PRTA’s national junior development program, an International Tennis Federation (ITF) Level 3 coach, and National Tutor. He will be assisted by Sara Snyder, who was part of Puerto Rico’s Billie Jean King Cup delegation in 2022.
“We are extremely proud of the athletes who will represent Puerto Rico in Paraguay. This team combines international experience with top collegiate talent. We are confident our players will compete with passion, commitment, and pride as they represent our flag,” said Rosa Martínez, Executive Director of the PRTA.
Martínez also emphasized the significance of the event for the continued growth of women’s tennis in Puerto Rico.
“The Billie Jean King Cup is the most important international team competition in women’s tennis. Competing on this stage provides invaluable experience for our players and continues to strengthen Puerto Rico’s presence in the international tennis community,” she said.
This year’s Americas Group II field includes the Bahamas, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay.
The competition format features two groups of four teams playing round-robin matches from July 1-3. Classification and relegation playoffs will take place on July 4.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the promotion playoffs, where the two nations earning promotion to the Americas Group I for the 2027 season will be determined. Teams losing the relegation playoffs will drop to Americas Group III.
“We know the level of competition will be extremely high, but our players have shown they are ready for the challenge. Our goal is to compete at our best and fight for one of the promotion spots,” Martínez concluded.
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