Former Australian players reunite at Billie Jean King Cup in Brisbane
Brisbane, Australia, 12 April 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Former top-ranked Australian players served up plenty of inspiration at a Women and Girls breakfast at the Queensland Tennis Centre this morning.
Casey Dellacqua hosted a panel discussion with fellow former Billie Jean King Cup representatives Lisa Ayres (nee McShea), Jessica Moore and Annabel Taylor (nee Ellwood).
As well as sharing memories of representing Australia in the team competition, they spoke about the importance of having strong female role models and reflected on the biggest lessons gained from their respective careers.
An enthralled audience included graduates from Tennis Australia’s Women Leaders in Tennis and Learn 2 Lead programs, as well as coaches from across Queensland.
Dellacqua reiterated the importance of adopting a team approach in the sport.
“You need a community of people (around you),” said Dellacqua, a former world No.26 in singles and world No.3 in doubles.
“Having a group of people that you can call or rely on was so, so important for me. It enabled me to be the best player and person that I possibly can be.”
Moore spoke about the need for patience and perspective when chasing your dreams.
“Being originally from a small country town in WA, I had to relocate at a really young age,” related Moore, whose ranking peaked at world No.132 in singles and world No.52 in doubles during her career.
“At a young age we want things super quick, we want a result now, but it is a journey. It takes time, investment and hard work.”
Ayres, a former world No.139 in singles and world No.32 in doubles, emphasised the importance of “enjoying the journey”.
“In the early parts of my career I was very hard on myself,” she noted. “If I had a bad training session or bad match, it was like my life was ending.
“I learnt as a I got older it’s really important that you have to be resilient, but you also need to know nothing is going to happen overnight.
“You can’t judge yourself for a bad training session. You’re still a great person, you’ve still got a great life. Whether you win a tournament or lose first round, you’ve got to see your path for what it is and you have to be prepared for the highs and lows.”
> READ: Rising Aussie junior talents excited to learn at Billie Jean King Cup camp
Taylor, a former world No.57 in singles and world No.60 in doubles, explained learning to accept losses and bounce back stronger was her most valuable lesson.
“It’s very rare you do win a tournament. There’s only one winner at the end,” she said.
“The quicker you learn that you can’t dwell on that, and that you have to use that to continue on and learn from it, the better you get.”
Other past Billie Jean King Cup representatives attending the event included Michelle Laggard-Lai and Nicole Pratt.
Breakfast attendees then ventured into Pat Rafter Arena to cheer on the Australian team on day one of their showdown against Mexico.
Tickets for the two-day Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Qualifier tie are still available through Ticketmaster, with adult prices starting at $20, concessions from $16, kids from $5 and family passes (two adults and two children) starting at $45.
> BUY NOW: Billie Jean King Cup tickets
Find your way to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!
