Tennis Canada has announced that Victoria Mboko, Gabriela Dabrowski, Marina Stakusic, Carson Branstine and Cadence Brace have been selected to represent Team Canada at the Billie Jean King Cup presented by Gainbridge Play-Offs next month.
The Play-offs will take place from November 14-16 at Club Sonoma, in Monterrey, Mexico on outdoor hard courts, with Canada set to play Denmark (Nov. 15) and host nation, Mexico (Nov. 16), in a three-day round-robin format. The group winner will advance to the 2026 Qualifiers, while the other two teams will compete in the Regional Group I next year.
Mboko will be representing Canada at the Billie Jean King Cup for the second time in her career. In her debut at the event in April, she went 2-0 in her singles matches. The 19-year-old has enjoyed a breakout season on the WTA Tour, notably winning her first WTA title at the 1000-level National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montreal in August. The win helped her reach a career-high ranking of No. 23 in the world.
Doubles specialist Dabrowski, 33, is representing Team Canada for the 20th time at the Billie Jean King Cup and is riding a seven-match win streak at the event. With partner Erin Routliffe, the world No. 6 in doubles has collected three titles on tour this year, most notably the US Open women’s doubles crown. The pair also won the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open and a WTA 250 event in Stuttgart, Germany.
Stakusic will be making her fourth appearance for Canada at the Billie Jean King Cup. The 20-year-old has a 4-2 record in the international competition, notably playing a key role in Canada's historic victory in 2023 when she defeated Spain’s Rebeka Masarova, Poland's Magdalena Frech, and Italy's Martina Trevisan en route to Canada’s title. Ranked No. 141 in the world, Stakusic recently made a run to the quarterfinals of a WTA 500 event in Guadalajara, Mexico, in September.
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This is the first nomination to Team Canada at the Billie Jean King Cup for Branstine. It’s been a year of firsts for the 25-year-old, who made her WTA Tour main-draw debut in June at the Libema Open in the Netherlands before making her Grand Slam main-draw debut at Wimbledon a month later. She reached a career high ranking of world No. 172 in October.
Brace will also be making her Billie Jean King Cup debut for Team Canada. The 20-year-old is set to begin her second season at Louisiana State University as the top-ranked Canadian in singles and doubles in the NCAA. Brace went 14-6 in singles in 2024-25 but finished strong, winning her last seven completed matches in a row and 10 of her last 11.
Marie-Ève Pelletier to act as Interim Captain in Heidi El Tabakh’s absence
Due to personal reasons, Team Canada Billie Jean King Cup captain Heidi El Tabakh is unable to attend the Play-offs. Team Canada will instead be led by Marie-Ève Pelletier, the former tennis professional who represented Canada at the Billie Jean King Cup 16 times from 2002 to 2012. El Tabakh will return as captain for future ties.
“I would have loved to be with the team in Monterrey for what I’m sure will be a thrilling competition, but I’m grateful to Tennis Canada and the team for being understanding of my decision to stay home with my family as I prepare to give birth. I'm also thankful that Marie-Ève can step in for me, and I have the utmost confidence that she'll lead the team to success. Along with Canada, I will be cheering them on from home and look forward to watching this very capable team, under the guidance of Marie-Ève, secure a spot in next year’s Qualifiers," said El Tabakh.
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“I’m thrilled to be serving as Interim Captain for Team Canada for the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs. I have so many fond memories from playing in this event, and I feel immense pride at the opportunity to don the maple leaf once again,” said Pelletier, who played in 30 ties for Team Canada over her playing career. “We have an exceptionally talented group heading to Mexico, and while the competition will be tough, I know the team will represent the country well and be prepared to play our best to secure a spot in the 2026 Qualifiers.”
Photo: Sarah-Jade Champagne
