13 November 2025 | Tennis West
The Culture Amp Australian Billie Jean King Cup team returns to Hobart on Friday, the place where Storm Hunter made her competition debut.
With Talia Gibson set to become the 59th player to represent the Australian Billie Jean King Cup team on Friday, déjà vu strikes in Hobart.
Fellow West Australian Storm Hunter made her team debut when Australia last played in Hobart against Russia in February 2014.
“It was such a surreal moment. Samantha Stosur presented me with my jacket on centre court,” Hunter recalled of that milestone. “I just remember feeling so much pride representing Australia. I didn’t get to play that tie, but being on the sidelines and being with the team all week was just such an amazing and positive week, and it really was like a dream come true.”
Hunter, now Australia’s most experienced squad member, presented Gibson with her jacket, a privilege Hunter did not expect to experience.
“To be honest, it was a surprise,” said Hunter, who was asked by BJK Cup interim captain Nicole Pratt to present Gibson with her jacket. “It was really special because for me, I always remember it was always the senior leader of the team who would do that, and I just never thought that I would get the opportunity to do it.
“I was actually quite nervous because it is a really big moment. I remember the time when Sam gave me my jacket, and it’s something that sticks with me for the rest of my life, and I wanted Talia to have that moment too.”
The Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs will cap a challenging yet rewarding season for the former doubles world No.1. After being sidelined for 10 months with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Hunter returned to action in February and has since climbed to world No.33.
WATCH: Catch the Billie Jean King Cup action on 9Gem and 9Now
OFFICIAL PROGRAM – Billie Jean King Cup Play-offs: AUS – BRA – POR
Her biggest accolade this season came in October, when she spontaneously reunited with doubles world No.1 Katerina Siniakova to win the Wuhan WTA 1000 title.
“That win in Wuhan in Siniakova was a big confidence booster for me. It’s like, ‘okay, I’ve still got this, I know how to play tennis’,” said Hunter, who was only eligible for Wuhan direct entry with Siniakova.
“When I first came back on tour, everything felt new again … I felt really tired and questioned myself a lot. I felt like the level was extremely high, and I really had to work hard to get back there.
“Coming back from an Achilles rupture is no joke; it was a really long rehab. I couldn’t walk, couldn’t drive for months. Having to relearn all that and then playing tennis at the highest level is a big task.
“Playing an extra few matches just allowed me to find my feet in those big moments, especially when you’re feeling the pressure, just to go for my shots and trust myself as well.”
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Hunter will be hoping to transfer that form to the BJK Cup Play-offs, where Australia aims to return to the Qualifiers stage next April.
The 31-year-old has won 12 of her 16 matches in the competition and believes it is an exciting time for the team.
“We haven’t been in this situation for a number of years now, so it’s a little bit different,” she said. “We all know how important it is to win and to try and qualify [for the 2026 qualifiers].
“This team with Maya [Joint] and Talia [Gibson] as the two young ones, I think it’s really exciting because we haven’t had that youth on the team for quite a few years … I think it’s just the start of a new generation.”
