Maya Joint, Ajla Tomljanovic, Ellen Perez and Storm Hunter will join Kimberly Birrell to represent Australia at Pat Rafter Arena on 10-12 April 2025.
Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 14 March 2025 | Tennis Australia
Australian captain Sam Stosur has named the full team for the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers in Brisbane next month.
Maya Joint (Qld), Ajla Tomljanovic (Qld), Ellen Perez (NSW) and Storm Hunter (WA) will join Kimberly Birrell (Qld) to represent Australia at Pat Rafter Arena on 10-12 April 2025.
“I’m extremely excited to announce Kim, Maya, Ajla, Ellen and Storm in the team,” Stosur said.
“Our No.1 Aussie woman Kim has been in great form recently, peaking at a career-high world No.75 after a huge start to 2025.
READ MORE: Birrell to lead Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup team in Brisbane qualifier
“Ajla is always an incredibly strong competitor with so much experience at this level, and she always brings a lot to the team.
“It’s also fantastic to see Storm return to the court following a devastating injury setback last year. Together with Ellen, they bring so much to our doubles strength which is a huge asset for the team.”
Eighteen-year-old Joint will make her Billie Jean King Cup debut after serving as the Orange Girl in Australia’s last tie in Malaga. The Queenslander has had an impressive rise through the ranks and will don the green and gold for the first time at an international level.
“Maya has earned this opportunity after a brilliant 12 months, and I have no doubt she will rise to the occasion in her debut,” Stosur continued.
“She’s had some fantastic results and has proved she belongs at this level.”
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“I know this group of women will represent Australia with passion and determination. We’re really looking forward to the challenge and having the home crowd behind us in Brisbane.”
Sixteen-year-old Emerson Jones (Qld) will also join the team as the Orange Girl, continuing the tradition of an up-and-coming junior training alongside the team to gain invaluable experience on the world stage.
Stosur also praised the inclusion of Jones as Orange Girl, highlighting the importance of nurturing the next generation.
“Emerson is one of our most exciting young prospects and having her in this environment will be a wonderful opportunity for her development.”
MORE: Jones named Australian Billie Jean King Cup team Orange Girl
Australia will face Kazakhstan and Colombia at Pat Rafter Arena, with each tie featuring two singles matches and one doubles match.
Both teams have named full-strength squads, with top-10 star Elena Rybakina to lead Kazakhstan alongside three-time major quarterfinalist Yulia Putintseva, while Colombia will be led by former world No.33 Camila Osorio, a two-time WTA titlist.
The winners of each group will advance to November’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen, China.
Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers
Surface & venue: Hard, Outdoors (Pat Rafter Arena, Brisbane)
Dates:
Thursday 10 April 12pm AEST – Australia vs Kazakhstan
Friday 11 April 12pm AEST – Colombia vs Kazakhstan
Saturday 12 April 12pm AEST – Australia vs Colombia
Tickets on sale
Tickets to the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifier featuring Australia, Kazakhstan and Colombia are on sale via Ticketmaster.
- Kids go free across the three days of tennis
- Adult tickets from $20
- Two-day ticket packages for the Australian sessions from $30.
Fast facts
- The Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifiers will take place week commencing 7 April
- In 2025, six groups of three teams will contest the qualifying round on a round-robin basis
- Australia, Czechia, Japan, Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia will host qualifiers in April. Host nations were drawn at random from applications made by eligible nations
- Group D will see Australia host Kazakhstan and Colombia at Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane
- Three ties will be played across three days. Each tie will consist of two singles matches and a doubles match
- Six group winners in April will advance to the finals in Shenzen, China. The finals will transition from a 12-team event to an eight-team event in 2025
- Hosts China and 2024 champions Italy will round out the top eight in the finals
- Brisbane last hosted a Billie Jean King Cup tie in April 2024 when Australia defeated Mexico 4-0
- Australia is one of four nations to have competed in the Billie Jean King Cup competition every year. Australia sits second on the all-time champions list
- Australia is currently ranked the No.5 nation in Billie Jean King Cup rankings
- Evonne Goolagong, Dianne Fromholtz and Janet Young last led Australia to Fed Cup victory in 1974
- The Australian team has finished runners-up twice in recent years, in 2019 and 2022
- Billie Jean King Cup is the biggest women’s team event in tennis. It is the women’s equivalent of the Davis Cup and was launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation. In 2025, a record 146 nations will compete in the competition.
