Tennis is predominantly an individual sport, and that is part of what makes team events like the Billie Jean King Cup so fun. It is one of the few instances on the tennis calendar when players get to be together, support one another, and work together to get the wins.
And even though the matches are still the same as they are on tour, mostly individual or at best with one other person on your side of the net, that team element is still so crucial to success.
Just look at how Team Canada won Group A at the Billie Jean King Cup Play-Offs this weekend in Monterrey, Mexico.
Four of the five women on the roster played at least one match. While Victoria Mboko did put the most points on the board, winning both her singles match and getting a doubles victory, she hardly did it all on her own.
On Saturday against Denmark, she formed a dynamic partnership with veteran doubles star Gabriela Dabrowski, whose experience helped clinch the tie 2-1 for the Canucks. Then on Sunday, Carson Branstine shone in her Billie Jean King Cup debut to score the opening point, setting up Mboko’s clinching victory over Renata Zarazua.
A team effort.
“It was really an amazing experience. The whole team, we had a great team spirit. We had fun,” said Canada Captain Marie-Ève Pelletier after the matches on Sunday. “I'm sure we're going to be able to build from this positive experience here in Monterey for the next ties."
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The doubles match on Saturday night was one of the most intriguing moments of the weekend. Not only was it the most intense, with Canada needing a win to avoid a shocking upset and keep control of the group, but it also put the veteran leader of the Canadian squad, Dabrowski, on court with the team’s youngest player, Mboko.
“It was a really fun match. I thought Vicky did amazing. She's super keen to listen and execute, and she's very brave," said Dabrowski, who tied Pelletier for second on the all-time Canadian Billie Jean King Cup doubles win list with the victory. “It was just a really fun match.”
“It feels like an honour to play with Gaby,” expressed Mboko. “She's such a legend in doubles. It just feels great. She's super experienced and I feel like I can learn a lot from her. I had a lot of fun today.”
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“The energy was amazing... They looked like they were having so much fun playing together,” said Pelletier. “I think I was smiling the whole time.”
On Sunday, it was Branstine’s turn to step up. At age 25, she was making her debut for Team Canada. The former NCAA star was up to the occasion, delivering a straight-set win to ensure Canada would not have to play from behind for a second day in a row.
After the match, Branstine explained that her trust in her teammates helped her focus on her own result, knowing they would have her back if she was not able to get the win.
“I have a lot of confidence in my team. If for some reason my match didn’t go well today, I have all the confidence in the world that in Vicky’s match and in the doubles, we can get the win. So the most important thing was that I was focusing on my job and I’m glad I was able to do that.”
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Even though Cadence Brace, who also made her debut for Team Canada in Monterrey, did not score a point in her match on Saturday, losing a heartbreaker in three sets when she had nine match points, her effort still helped Canada in the long run.
After the fact on Saturday, Pelletier pointed out that by forcing Rebecca Munk Mortensen to go three and a half hours in singles, the young Dane was unable to come back for the doubles, which she had done the previous day against Mexico. As a result, the Dane’s could not put their strongest team out for the deciding doubles, which the Canadian’s easily won.
"I haven't seen a fight like this in a long time. Cadence gave everything she had,” said Pelletier of Brace’s match. “That was her first experience, and I'm extremely proud and how she fought.”
It may not be the most glamourous contribution, but it’s an important one.
Read also: Marie-Ève Pelletier is embracing a new Team Canada role in Monterrey
Canada’s victory in Monterrey with such a young and largely inexperienced team is a sign of good things to come for the Canucks in this competition. Mboko is 19, Brace is 20, Marina Stakusic, who was unable to play with an injury, is 20, and Branstine is 25.
Photo : ITF
Mboko knows there is plenty more to come. Her breakout in 2025 was one of the biggest stories not just in Canadian tennis, but in the whole sport this year. “I feel like I'm at the very start of my career. I've been experiencing things for the first time this year, so I'm just excited to learn and grow and improve and always go back to training and get better. Keep building and keep progressing,” said the teen after her win on Sunday night.
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As well, the Canadians were able to get the job done without two of their biggest stars, both of whom are also young: world No. 22 Leylah Annie Fernandez (age 23) and former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu (age 25).
With youth and depth like this, Canada is shaping up to be a threat at the Billie Jean King Cup for a long time.
CLICK HERE for everything you need to know about the 2025 Billie Jean King Cup Play-Offs.
Feature Photo : ITF
