Stosur set to captain team Australia at Billie Jean King Cup

Sam Stosur, a renowned eight-time Grand Slam champion at the age of 40, is relying on the cohesive bond within the Australian team to secure victory against Mexico in her inaugural role as captain at the Billie Jean King Cup.

Stosur played a crucial role in Australia's journey to the tournament final in 2019 and 2022 before retiring last year. She will now debut as the team captain at Brisbane's Pat Rafter Arena on Friday.

Arina Rodionova and Storm Hunter, ranked two and 19 respectively, will lead Australia's singles challenge against Giuliana Olmos and Marcela Zacarias in the qualifier.

Hunter, the third-ranked doubles player, will partner with Ellen Perez, ranked eighth, to face Olmos and Zacarias in the fifth rubber after the reverse singles.

Stosur, with a 39-21 Billie Jean King Cup record, emphasized the importance of team dynamics in her new role as captain.

She mentioned, "First and foremost, the team knows that I support them and we are friends. We haven't had any difficult conversations yet, which is positive. But when the time comes, I believe we all have enough respect for each other."

Stosur, a former US Open champion and world number four, has also won multiple Grand Slam doubles and mixed doubles titles.

Rodionova, ranked 103, will kick off the tie against Olmos and expressed her excitement to be part of the strong Australian team once again.

The victorious team will secure a spot in the season-ending finals in Seville in November, joining defending champions Canada, 2023 runners-up Italy, hosts Spain, and wildcard Czech Republic.