Rising star Talia Gibson has been named in the Culture Amp Australian Billie Jean King Cup team for the upcoming Play-offs in Hobart next week after Priscilla Hon was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Gibson, 21 and ranked world No.137, has notched several milestones over the past 12 months.
She won her first Grand Slam main-draw match at Australian Open 2025, beating her first top-100 opponent in the process.
She later qualified for the main draw at Wimbledon, won the equal-biggest title of her career at the W75 tournament in Granby, and reached the second round of the WTA Cleveland event as a qualifier.
These performances helped boost her to a career-high ranking of world No.105 in August.
Gibson said she is honoured to receive the call up and is thrilled to represent Australia for the first time.
“It's super exciting. It’s something that I've really wanted to do for so long and something that has always been a goal of mine. It was very exciting to get the call up to be on the team,” Gibson said.
“I've literally been watching Billie Jean King Cup every year. It’s always something that I make sure I sit down and watch and support the girls, and to be on the team this time and be able to support everyone will be very special.”
Captain Nicole Pratt said Gibson’s inclusion is a welcome addition to the team.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Talia who’s been knocking on the door of the top 100 for a while now, and it won’t be long until she reaches that benchmark,” Pratt said.
“She’s had some impressive results over the past 12 months, and her improved consistency throughout the year has been very positive and we’re thrilled to welcome her into the team and give her the chance to experience representing Australia on home soil.
“I’d also like to wish Priscilla all the best for a speedy recovery from injury. She’s had an amazing year and although I know how disappointed she is to miss this tie, we look forward to seeing her come back strongly for the summer of tennis.”
Gibson joins Maya Joint, Kimberly Birrell, Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez in the Australian team for the Play-offs against Portugal and Brazil at the Domain Tennis Centre from 14 to 16 November 2025.
Australia will face Portugal on Friday 14 November and Brazil on Sunday 16 November, with each tie featuring two singles matches and a doubles match. The winner of Group E will advance to the 2026 Qualifiers, keeping alive the chance to compete for the trophy next year.
Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Play-offs
Domain Tennis Centre, Hobart, Tasmania - hardcourt, outdoors
Friday 14 November 12pm AEDT – Australia v Portugal
Saturday 15 November 12pm AEDT – Brazil v Portugal
Sunday 16 November 12pm AEDT – Australia v Brazil
Tickets
- Tickets to the Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs featuring Australia, Brazil and Portugal are on sale via Ticketmaster
- Free entry for kids across the three days of tennis
- Adult tickets from $30 for Australian sessions
- Adult tickets from $20 for Brazil v Portugal
Fast facts
- The Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Play-offs will take place from 14-16 November.
- View Play-off draw
- Seven groups of three teams will play a round-robin with seven group winners advancing to the 2026 Qualifiers. The remaining 14 teams will compete in Regional Group I events in 2026.
- Australia as well as Argentina, Croatia, Germany, India, Mexico and Poland will serve as host nations in November.
- Group E will see Australia host Brazil and Portugal in Hobart.
- Hobart last hosted Billie Jean King Cup (then Fed Cup) tennis when Australia defeated Russia 4-0 in a World Group first round tie in February 2014. The team included Sam Stosur, Casey Dellacqua, Ash Barty, Storm Hunter and captain Alicia Molik.
- In total, 21 nations will feature in the Play-offs - Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Switzerland - who finished second and third in the April Qualifiers, plus nine teams promoted from Group I: Argentina, Belgium, Croatia, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Turkey and Slovenia.
- Each Play-off will feature three ties played across three days. Each tie will consist of two singles matches and a doubles match. All matches will be played as best-of-three tiebreak sets.
- In 2025, the Billie Jean King Cup Finals transitioned from a 12 to an eight-team event to mirror the existing Davis Cup Final 8 format. The group format for both 2025 Qualifiers and Play-offs was introduced to accommodate that transition.
- The 2026 Qualifiers will feature 14 nations in 7 home and away ties across two days w/c 6 April. It includes the seven nations to top the Play-off groups in November plus the seven countries who contested the 2025 Finals in Shenzhen (not including Finals hosts China).
- The 2026 Billie Jean King Cup Finals will be hosted in Shenzhen, China.
- Australia is one of four nations to have competed in the Billie Jean King Cup competition every year. Australia sits second on the all-time champions list.
- Australia is currently ranked 12th in Billie Jean King Cup rankings.
- Australia has won the competition seven times; Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Dianne Balestrat and Janet Young last led Australia to Fed Cup victory in 1974.
- The Australian team has finished runners-up twice in recent years, in 2019 and 2022.
- Billie Jean King Cup is the women’s World Cup of Tennis. Previously known as the Fed Cup, it is the largest annual international team competition in women’s sport. It was launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Tennis Federation.
For more information about the Billie Jean King Cup visit here.