Team Canada's hopes of winning back-to-back Billie Jean King Cup titles have been boosted by Bianca Andreescu and Leylah Fernandez making themselves available for November's finals.
Last year's Billie Jean King Cup Finals was one of the most exciting in the tournament's history. Team Canada was not among the favorites to win the event, but they stunned their opponents to claim glory in Seville, Spain.
Fernandez was in good form heading into the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals. She won the Hong Kong Open title a few weeks previously. Emma Raducanu and Fernandez are among the players set to compete in Hong Kong this year.
However, few expected Fernandez to be as inspired as she was in Seville last year. Her incredible performances were the biggest reason for Team Canada's shock run to the title.
The 21-year-old won both her singles matches in the group stage matches against Spain and Poland. She was ably supported by Marina Stakusic, winning two singles battles, and Eugenie Bouchard and Gabriela Dabrowski also triumphed in the doubles.
Fernandez's role became more pivotal in the semifinal against the Czech Republic after Barbora Krejcikova defeated Stakusic in the opening singles rubber. Fernandez responded by overcoming last year's Wimbledon champion, Marketa Vondrousova, in three sets.
She then partnered Dabrowski in the doubles. They were heavy underdogs against the seven-time Grand Slam-winning pair of Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, but the Canadians produced a stunning performance to beat them and make the final.
Team Canada won the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup with a 2-0 victory against Italy. Stakusic shocked Martina Trevisan in the opening rubber before Fernandez sealed the title with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Jasmine Paolini.
Andreescu, who detailed a spiritual journey she went on, was unable to play in last year's finals because of an injury. She was out for nearly ten months with a stress fracture in her back, returning at the 2024 French Open.
The 2019 US Open champion confounded expectations by reaching the final in just her second tournament back at the Bad Homburg Open. She finished as runner-up to Liudmila Samsonova, but it was still a superb achievement.
However, Andreescu has struggled since then. The 24-year-old is on a four-match losing streak that stretches back to the Wimbledon third round, although she did play well in her last defeat against Paolini at the US Open, losing a high-quality three-set match.
Despite a challenging last couple of months, Andreescu's inclusion is still a very positive development for Team Canada. If she finds her best tennis, the former Canadian No. 1 will be a significant asset at the finals.
Fernandez and Andreescu will likely be chosen for Team Canada's singles rubbers. Stakusic, who is also on the 2024 team, may feel slightly hard done by after her heroics last year, but the captain, Heidi El Tabakh, will do what she thinks is suitable for the team.
Dabrowski and Marino are the other members of the team. Bouchard, who played well in last year's doubles, is not on the team, and it would have been hard to pick the 2014 Wimbledon runner-up since she has been focused on pickleball for most of 2024.
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