Tennis News London • Billie Jean King Cup • British Team to Face Mexico • April 16-17

LTA ANNOUNCES GB’s BILLIE JEAN KING CUP SQUAD TO FACE MEXICO AT NATIONAL TENNIS CENTRE

• Heather Watson, Harriet Dart and Katie Boulter all selected for behind closed doors event
• Follow @the_LTA on Twitter and @LTA on Instagram for match action and exclusive content

The LTA has confirmed the squad to represent Great Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Play-Off against Mexico on 16 and 17 April.  The tie will take place behind closed doors at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre in Roehampton.

Captained by Anne Keothavong, the GB Billie Jean King Cup squad (in WTA ranking order) is:

• Heather Watson
• Harriet Dart
• Katie Swan
• Jodie Burrage
• Katie Boulter

Keothavong said: “I’m pleased to be able to announce the squad for this tie and I’m really looking forward to everyone linking up again. Heather has shown great commitment to the team and the competition over the years and Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart have both shown their character in recent ties as well. Along with Katie Swan and Jodie Burrage we have a strong group of players who I’m confident can do us proud. We all know the LTA’s National Tennis Centre very well and we’re looking forward to a competitive tie in familiar surroundings, and hopefully we can advance to the 2022 Finals.”

The LTA explored a number of venue options for the tie, but pandemic restrictions meant that the National Tennis Centre was deemed the most suitable venue. The tie is the third time since 2019 (having played away for 26 consecutive years) that Great Britain team will have the opportunity to play on home soil.

If Great Britain are victorious against Mexico, they will advance to a one-match home or away Qualifier next February to join the 12 best countries in the April 2022 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.

🎾🎾🎾🎾 ••• this is amazing •••• 🎾🎾🎾🎾 Four of the team – Dart, Boulter, Swan and Burrage – are part of the LTA’s Pro Scholarship Programme (PSP), which provides world-class coaching, medical and financial support to young professional players aged 16-24 with the potential to reach the top 100 within five years.

Billie Jean King Cup player records

Heather Watson has been a part of 35 GB Billie Jean King Cup squads (sixth best all-time amongst British women) and 2021 marks her 10^th year being part of the competition. Her win/loss ratio is 21-10 (equal highest with Anne Keothavong) in singles and 8-3 in doubles.

Harriet Dart has been selected for her fourth GB Billie Jean King Cup team, and was the 52nd player to represent GB in the competition since its inception in 1963. Dart impressed in Great Britain’s Fed Cup Qualifier defeat to Slovakia in Bratislava last year and has a total win/loss ratio of 2-2.

Katie Swan made her debut in Israel in 2016 (aged 17, the youngest ever), posting a 2-1 singles win/loss ratio and 2-0 in doubles during that outing.

Jodie Burrage has been selected for the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time.

Katie Boulter made her debut in 2018 and has a singles win ratio of 5-1 and doubles win/loss ratio of 2-0. She was instrumental in Great Britain’s Fed Cup World Group II victory over Kazakhstan at the Copper Box Arena in 2019, clinching the tie with a 6-7, 6-4, 6-1 win over Zarina Diyas.

Fans can follow all the action live from Great Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup World Group Qualifier against Mexico via the LTA’s Facebook site. The matches start at 14:00 UK time Friday April 16 and conclude starting from 12:00 on Saturday, April 17. Follow @the_LTA on Twitter and @LTA on Instagram for match action and exclusive content.

ABOUT THE BILLIE JEAN KING CUP:

The Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas is the women’s World Cup of Tennis. Previously known as the Fed Cup, it is the largest annual international team competition in women’s sport, with 116 nations entered in 2020/21. The competition is 58 years old, having been founded in 1963.