Marie- Ève Pelletier finds herself immersed in an environment she’s all too familiar with at the Billie Jean King Cup Play-Offs in Monterrey, Mexico. Except this time, she has a whole new set of responsibilities.
The native of Repentigny, Quebec is stepping into the role of captain for Team Canada while current captain Heidi El Tabakh is on maternity leave and she certainly has the credentials for the job.
As a player, Pelletier reached a career-high WTA doubles ranking of no. 54 and no. 106 in singles during her 15 years on the pro tour. She was also a stalwart on Canada’s Billie Jean King Cup team, representing her country every year from 2002-2008 and again from 2010-2012. Her 16 doubles wins is second on Canada’s all-time list in the competition behind only Sonya Jeyaseelan who has 17.
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Ironically, one of the players on Pelletier’s team this week, Gabriela Dabrowski, has the chance to match her 16 victories when they take on Denmark and Mexico this week. While the two never got the chance to play together in Billie Jean King Cup, their respective Team Canada legacies are being felt in Monterrey, in a big way, and their young teammates are certainly reaping the benefits.
“I think she’s (Pelletier) going to do a great job,” Dabrowski said during media day on Wednesday. “Obviously, her experience in singles and doubles will be super valuable and I look forward to learning from her.”
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While Pelletier happily took all the advice she could get from El Tabakh to get ready for these upcoming weekend ties, she’s also relying on her own experience and instincts to lead the team in a way that is unique to her. She’s already making her presence felt in a positive, meaningful way that is bringing out the best in the players.
“The atmosphere within the team is really good, we’re having fun and working with intensity and purpose, Pelletier explained. “I think that when you feel good, you perform well. The idea is to make the players feel as good as possible, to put in place what they need to be well prepared for competition. Everyone on the team has a role to play in helping with the preparation. And I want the players to feel that we are listening to them as well.”
Sixteen doubles wins in Billie Jean King Cup sure has a nice ring to it, but a first triumph as captain is going to be extra special and Pelletier hopes that she’ll soon find out what that feels like.
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