Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers 2024: Meet the France team ready to challenge the Brits
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The players have been named, the location has been set and the countdown is on as the Lexus Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team gear up to take on France for a place in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
France’s team captain, Julian Benneteau has named a four-strong team who will battle against Great Britain at Le Chaudron in Le Portel from Friday 12 to Saturday 13 April.
France are three-time Billie Jean King Cup champions, having lifted the coveted trophy in 1997, 2003 and 2019.
The two nations have gone head-to-head on four occasions, with the tie currently being level at 2-2. Their most recent meeting came at the 2023 Qualifiers on British soil, which saw France come out on top in a 3-1 win.
France’s Billie Jean King Cup squad to face Great Britain:
- Caroline Garcia (world No.27)
- Clara Burel (world No.45)
- Diane Parry (world No.54)
- Kristina Mladenovic (world No.266/doubles world No.52)
Let’s take a closer look at the players and their recent form ahead of the qualifying tie:
Caroline Garcia
- Age: 30
- Ranking: 27
- Billie Jean King Cup ties played: 14
- Billie Jean King Cup record: 23-8
Garcia has become one of France’s most reliable Billie Jean King Cup team members since making her debut in 2013. With a career-high ranking of world No.4, Garcia holds 11 WTA singles and eight doubles titles to her name, including two Roland Garros crowns which she lifted alongside compatriot Mladenovic.
After a tough year in 2023, Garcia has made a strong start to the new season – winning three of her four matches at the United Cup and recently making the Miami Open quarter-final.
Boasting an impressive win record at the Billie Jean King Cup, Garcia is a formidable weapon across the singles and doubles. During the 2023 Qualifier at the Coventry Arena, Garcia came through two tough three set battles against Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart which featured four tie-breaks across both matches. Will the Brits be able to break Garcia's momentum at the perfect time?
Clara Burel
- Age: 23
- Ranking: 45
- Billie Jean King Cup ties played: 4
- Billie Jean King Cup record: 2-3
Burel has made significant headway on the WTA tour since last year’s qualifying tie, having risen 66 places in the singles rankings to break into the world’s top 50.
The 23-year-old kicked off her year with a win over world No.5 Jessica Pegula en route to the third round of the Australian Open before making the quarter-final of the WTA 500 event at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz and the second round at Indian Wells.
At the Coventry Arena, Burel teamed up with Mladenovic for the doubles rubber where they lost a tight battle against British duo Alicia Barnett and Olivia Nicholls 7-5, 3-6, 11-9. Given her recent form so far this year, she could be prove to be a strong selection for the French team.
Diane Parry
- Age: 21
- Ranking: 54
- Billie Jean King Cup ties played: 1
- Billie Jean King Cup record: 1-1
Parry joins the team as the youngest member but carries a wealth of experience with her off the back of a fast start to the year. The youngster kick-started her year with a quarter-final appearance at the ASB Classic before knocking out the seeded Xinyu Wang to reach the third round of the Australian Open.
Most recently, she enjoyed a standout run to the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells before losing out to world No.9 Maria Sakkari in a closely fought three set battle.
Despite having only played in one Billie Jean King Cup tie for her country so far, Parry is not to be underestimated and could be one to cause an upset in the upcoming tie.
Kristina Mladenovic
- Age: 30
- Ranking: Singles – 266; Doubles - 52
- Billie Jean King Cup ties played: 20
- Billie Jean King Cup record: 27-11
Mladenovic enters as the most experienced player in the French squad, having represented her country in 20 Billie Jean King Cup ties since making her debut in 2012.
While the 30-year-old continues to play in the singles predominantly on the ITF tour, she has established herself as one of the world’s best doubles stars - owning nine Grand Slam titles across women’s and mixed doubles events, including four on the clay at Roland Garros.
Mladenovic regularly partners her fellow Frenchwoman Garcia, with the duo already finishing runners-up at the Adelaide International and reaching the Australian Open quarter-final in January. They also made it to the final eight at the WTA 1000 event at the Dubai Duty Free Championships.
Should a deciding doubles rubber be required against the Brits, we could expect to see the pair join forces once again at Le Chaudron.
