Washington state to host first-ever Fed Cup tie

Fed Cup tennis will come to Washington state for the first time in February, as the U.S. Fed Cup team will take on Latvia in a 2020 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas qualifier inside the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash.

It will be the 18th different U.S. state to host a Fed Cup tie.

The qualifying competition against Latvia is a best-of-five match series played over two days, with each country bringing a team of four or five players to the tie. The U.S. team is captained by former world No. 7 Kathy Rinaldi (pictured above with Sloane Stephens), who will name her team no later than 10 days before the start of the competition.

The tie begins Friday, Feb. 7, with two singles matches between each country’s No. 1- and No. 2-nominated players. Two reverse singles matches, between each country’s No. 1s and each country’s No. 2s, and the doubles match will follow on Saturday, Feb. 8.

Matches will be played at Angel of the Winds Arena on a temporary indoor hard court, with an amended schedule possible for Saturday should one nation clinch victory in the third or fourth singles match.

The winner of the matchup advances to the 2020 Fed Cup final, which will be held April 14-19 in Budapest, Hungary, and will feature a new format similar to the World Cup, in which 12 nations converge on one venue to compete for the title.

"As a native Washingtonian, I'm thrilled to see Fed Cup come to Washington for the first time," said USTA Chairman of the Board and President Patrick Galbraith, a Tacoma native. "Washington has such a vibrant tennis community, and this competition gives us a chance to bring world-class tennis to Everett, engage with the community and use this platform to truly celebrate and grow tennis in the area."

The American team last won the championship in 2017 and reached the final in 2018. Over the last several years, players including Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys and Sofia Kenin have represented the U.S. in Fed Cup competition.

USTA members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance through an exclusive presale from Tuesday, Nov. 19, through Thursday, Nov. 21, or while supplies last. Click here to purchase presale tickets.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, Nov. 22, and can be purchased here. Two-day ticket packages for both Friday and Saturday—the best initial ticket value—will be sold at prices ranging from $50 to $250 or $25 to $125 per day. Single-day tickets for Friday or Saturday will be sold with prices ranging from $30 to $135 per day.