“On our day, I think we can beat anyone” – Harriet Dart chats all things Billie Jean King Cup, her season & a love for LEGO
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British No.3 Harriet Dart is ready to close out her season on a high as she joins up with the Lexus GB team once again at this week’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
The Brits reached the Finals after an incredible 3-1 win over France earlier in the year and are now set to battle it out amongst the top 12 nations in the world.
Dart – who could be set for her 10th Billie Jean King Cup tie if she plays against Germany in the first round in Malaga – has been a staple of Captain Anne Keothavong’s side in recent years and continues to step up when called upon.
Ahead of their trip to Spain, we caught up with Dart whilst training with the team at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton to get a feel for the atmosphere amongst the squad so far and to chat about Dart’s impressive 2024 campaign.
“For everyone, it’s really exciting to be part of the Great Britain team and it’s a huge honour,” Dart said. “For me it always has been an incredible and memorable experience.
“Being together with the team is always amazing – we haven’t been all together since April, which was an incredible experience to be a part of. It was the first time we’ve qualified for the Finals by right and the girls were amazing.
“I’m just looking forward to having fun – we always do when we’re together as a team.”
Dart is no stranger to the Billie Jean King Cup Finals of course, having played a huge role in Great Britain’s only previous appearance during the tournament’s current format.
In Glasgow, two years ago, the 28-year-old beat former world No.2 Paula Badosa and former Wimbledon quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic to help the Brits into the final four for the first time since 1981.
She has shown time and time again that she will bring her best tennis in the big moments for her country and heading into Malaga, could be asked to do so again in either singles or doubles.
Great Britain’s first challenge will be against a tough German side who knocked out Brazil in the Qualifiers, before a potential quarter-final against the reigning champions, Canada.
“I had some really great wins during our time in Glasgow and really fed off the crowd,” she said. “I hope a lot of the British fans fly out to Malaga to support the team.
“They (Germany) have a really strong team. They might not have that standout player, but they have really good depth in their squad. They have a lot of experience in their team as well as youth. You never know who they’ll play, how they’re feeling.
“Equally we have a very strong team and, on our day, I think we can beat anyone.”
There are plenty of reasons for Dart to feel optimistic in what on paper, is one of the strongest squads that Keothavong has been able to assemble during her time in the role.
British No.1 Katie Boulter has had the best season of her career, reaching three WTA finals, winning two titles and claiming a new career-high at world No.23.
Equally, Emma Raducanu has had some great results through the year – particularly during the grass court season – Heather Watson has impressed in both singles and doubles, and Olivia Nicholls is up inside the WTA doubles top 40 as the current British No.1.
As for Dart, it’s been another stellar year – arguably one of the best of her career. She has now cemented herself in the top 100 for singles and doubles with highlight performances at Wimbledon, Eastbourne, Transylvania, Canberra and Cincinnati.
Heading into the Finals on the high of another encouraging season, Dart insists that she’s pushing forward instead of dwelling too much on what has come before.
“I don’t look back at my seasons too much,” Dart admitted. “I’m often my own worst critic. I always want to strive for more, I want to be better.
“Standouts this year would probably be Wimbledon and being able to make the third round again after what felt like a long time. I’ve picked up some big wins at important events and I think it’s important now to just keep that going.
“Equally in doubles I’ve played some new events this year – had a great run in Cincinnati and was fortunate to play with a top 10 player.
“It’s been fun, but also exhausting – I couldn’t use one word to describe my year because it’s ups and downs, but this has definitely been one of my better years and I want to improve on that next year.”
One thing that is for certain – Dart will have plenty to keep her occupied off the court during the team’s downtime thanks to her new-found love for LEGO.
In an interview feature with the WTA during the US swing, the British No.3 chatted about some of the projects she’s been working on while travelling the world and how she doesn’t go anywhere without it.
“I always have some in my bag,” Dart explained. “Usually when we’re travelling I’ll take it from tournament to tournament but with the luggage it can fall apart so the challenge is to try and build it again from memory.
“I think I’m going to take a car with me (to Malaga) as it’s not too big. I still have the world map to do, which is going to be fun, but I need a lot of time and space for that one. Looking forward to tackling that when I’m back home.”
The Lexus GB Billie Jean King Cup team take on Germany in their first round match of the Finals on Friday 15 November at 16:00 UK time.
You can watch every tie from the Billie Jean King Cup Finals on the Tennis Channel.
All of Great Britain’s ties will also be broadcast live on the Tennis Channel, as well as BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app and the Red Button.
