Billie Jean King Cup 2026: Meet the Australian team set to take on Great Britain
• 4 minute read
The Lexus Great Britain team will be hoping to book their spot in the 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Finals as they prepare to take on Australia in the Qualifiers.
Lexus GB Team Captain Anne Keothavong has named a new-look team ahead of the tie, including Harriet Dart, Katie Swan, Mika Stojsavljevic and Jodie Burrage.
Meanwhile, Sam Stosur’s strong Australian team will be led by the in-form Talia Gibson who has set sail on a breakthrough couple of months on the WTA Tour.
With the tie just one week away, take a look at which players will line up for Australia and find out more about GB’s opponents:
2026 Australia Billie Jean King Cup team:
- Talia Gibson
- Kimberly Birrell
- Emerson Jones
- Storm Hunter
- Ellen Perez
Read our Billie Jean King Cup preview
Talia Gibson
- Age: 21
- Singles ranking: 56
- Doubles ranking: 109
- Billie Jean King Cup record: N/A
Talia Gibson is in the midst of a breakthrough stretch on the WTA Tour and arrives as the in-form player.
The 21-year-old made headlines last month with a statement run to the quarter-finals at Indian Wells, defeating three seeded players in Ekaterina Alexandrova, Clara Tauson and Jasmine Paolini en route.
She quickly backed that up in Miami where she earnt impressive wins over Naomi Osaka and Iva Jovic to reach the last 16. As a result, she’s already propelled 63 places in the WTA rankings this year and is set to climb even higher should her momentum continue.
Kimberly Birrell
- Age: 27
- Singles ranking: 80
- Doubles ranking: 96
- Billie Jean King Cup record: 4-5
Like many of her compatriots, Birrell has enjoyed some standout results so far this year – highlighted by semi-final runs in Adelaide and the ATX Open.
While she’s yet to lift a title on the WTA Tour, Birrell has seven ITF crowns to her name with her last coming in Brisbane at the beginning of 2025.
Like her compatriots, Birrell has clocked some standout result on the doubles court, with her best performance coming on home turf at the Australian Open.
The world No.80 joined forces with Gibson, where the pair reached the quarter-finals of the women’s doubles draw. During that run, they knocked out second seeds and Olympic gold medallists Sara Errani and Jasmine Poalini – showcasing their ability to beat some of the world’s best players.
Emerson Jones
- Age: 17
- Singles ranking: 134
- Doubles ranking: 1576
- Billie Jean King Cup record: N/A
Emerson comes in as the youngest member of the Australian squad after world No.31 Maya Joint was forced to withdraw due to a back injury.
Jones is a former junior world No.1 having risen to the top of the rakings in 2024 - becoming the first Australian to do so since 1998.
While still in the early stages of her professional career, the 17-year-old has already picked up four ITF singles titles and reached the quarter-finals of the WTA 125 event in Austin last month. As a result, she's risen to a career-high ranking of world No.134.
This marks Jones' first Billie Jean King Cup call up.
Storm Hunter
- Age: 31
- Singles ranking: 196
- Doubles ranking: 18
- Billie Jean King Cup record: 13-4
When it comes to experience competing at the Billie Jean King Cup, Hunter will lead the way for the Australian team.
The former world No.1 has been one of the WTA’s most successful doubles players in recent years, with nine Tour-level titles to her name including five WTA 1000 trophies – all of which have come on a hard court.
She’s already added to that tally this season, teaming up with American Taylor Townsend at the ATX Open, and will look to carry that winning form into the crucial tie against Great Britain.
Hunter has an impressive record when it comes to Billie Jean King Cup matches, having won 13 of the 17 matches since making her debut in 2021.
As one of two doubles specialists featured in the squad, we can expect to see Hunter play an important role in the tie and use her experience to challenge her opponents.
Ellen Perez
- Age: 30
- Singles ranking: N/A
- Doubles ranking: 30
- Billie Jean King Cup record: 5-3
Ellen Perez further underlines the depth of Australia’s doubles options, arriving as another reliable and experienced player within the squad.
A former Grand Slam semi-finalist, Perez has also been in strong form over recent months – highlighted by a run to the final of the WTA 500 event in Brisbane and quarter-final finish at Indian Wells.
As far as her Billie Jean King Cup record goes, Perez has clinched five wins when wearing the Australian flag on her chest. Notably, four of those victories have come when she’s partnered Hunter on the doubles court – making them a trusted combination amongst the team.
The 30-year-old is an established top 30 player and like Hunter, will be an important play in Australia’s bid to reach the 2026 Finals.
