Eight-time Grand Slam champion Samantha Stosur was Thursday named captain of Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup team, succeeding Alicia Molik.
Molik is stepping down after leading the team for a decade, guiding them to the finals in 2019 and 2022, which was Stosur’s tournament swansong.
“I’ve got years of playing experience and one thing that I know is how the girls feel when you walk out on the court to play for Australia,” the 39-year-old Stosur said.
The 39-year-old, who retired from tennis in 2022, said she was keen to take an opportunity in the sport in Australia after enjoying some time away from the courts, and started her post-playing career with a spell doing commentary earlier this year.
Stosur made her Billie Jean King Cup debut more than 20 years ago, as a teenager in 2003, and played in 34 ties overall. Her last match was a victory at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, as she partnered Storm Hunter in the deciding doubles match that sent Australia to the 2022 final against Switzerland in Glasgow, Scotland.
Overall, Stosur posted a 39-21 win-loss record in Billie Jean King Cup, and says she’s keen to lean on that playing experience to lead
“You can’t really explain until you’re in that situation to know what it’s going to feel like going on a court to play in Billie Jean King Cup, com-pared to a normal tournament–even the first time playing the Australian Open. It really, truly is a different experience.
“So I know I’ve got all these different areas of my own playing career that I can pull from. Having that understanding, when someone’s really nervous or something, to know, ‘oh yeah I totally get it’. It’s not going to be a surprise if that happens. You can then try and navigate that together and come out on top, or in a good way.”
Stosur will make her debut as captain in April in the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers, as Australia will host Mexico in April looking to book a return trip to the 12-team Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Seville, Spain..—AFP
