After 10 years as Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, Alicia Molik will lead the staff for one final time on the 2023 Finals in Seville.
Australia, 29 September 2023 | Vivienne Christie
Each Billie Jean King Cup tie is a special day for Australian staff captain Alicia Molik.
However Australia’s subsequent project within the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Finals, at Seville in November, will carry extra significance for Molik than ever earlier than.
After a decade because the nation’s Billie Jean King Cup captain, it is going to mark Molik’s last tie within the function.
“It’s a choice that’s include quite a lot of thought and quite a lot of planning and I simply really feel like it’s the proper time,” stated Molik, whose lengthy profession in Billie Jean King Cup (then Fed Cup) started as a participant in 1999.
“I really feel like I’ve seen a little bit of every little thing as captain. I used to be there for Ash Barty’s first Fed Cup match in Switzerland as a 15-year-old and to have the ability to see her by means of her retirement exhibits that I’ve been on this sport for a very long time.
“Nevertheless it’s additionally been a fruitful 10 years with quite a lot of success. I feel we’ve had a superb staff (and) it’s good to exit on a very optimistic observe.
“I’ve given my absolute all to this staff and am leaving it in the very best place I presumably may have for the long run.”
In a profitable interval for Australian girls’s tennis, Molik can certainly mirror on a sequence of highs.
She notes that groups she has captained for Australia function 5 Grand Slam champions throughout singles, doubles and blended doubles, together with Barty, Sam Stosur, Casey Dellacqua, Storm Hunter and Jarmila Wolfe (nee Gajdosova).
In her decade-long captaincy, Molik has guided the nation to 2 Billie Jean King Cup finals. The West Australian is especially happy with the 2019 last, contested at Perth Enviornment, the place a passionate dwelling crowd cheered on the Australian staff towards France.
“An enormous spotlight by means of my tenure was the ultimate we performed right here at Perth in 2019, as a result of it was one of many final dwelling and away ties the place we had been actually in a position to showcase girls’s tennis and high girls’s tennis right here in Australia,” she stated.
In Glasgow final 12 months, Australia was runner-up to Switzerland. Drawing on a robust synergy inside their contingent, staff members together with Ajla Tomljanovic, Stosur, Hunter and Ellen Perez contributed to earlier wins over Slovakia, Nice Britain and Belgium.
Alicia Molik and Storm Hunter on the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in 2022; Courtesy ITF
However standout performances on court docket are removed from the one measure of success for the Australian nice.
Much more essential for Molik are the robust private qualities she has helped instill in members of every staff.
“I feel the legacy that I depart is that it’s all the time been the gamers’ staff,” she stated.
“I’ve all the time seen that my job is to not simply construct the gamers up however try to equip them with the values and the foresight and staff camaraderie that doesn’t simply assist them after they signify Australia throughout Billie Jean King Cup, however to try to carry that by means of on to the tour the tour too. That’s one thing I’ve labored onerous to do.”
As she seems forward to the ultimate Billie Jean King Cup project, Molik gratefully acknowledges the massive broader effort in constructing robust Australian groups.
“I’m fairly passionate and I really feel very strongly about everybody’s function within the staff being as essential as one another,” stated Molik.
“And likewise ensuring that the gamers actually respect the onerous work and efforts of all of the unimaginable workers … I feel we’ve been lucky to have unimaginable professionals working alongside our athletes to get them able to play.”
Australian staff coach Nicole Pratt, additionally a former Fed Cup team-mate as a participant, is among the many lengthy listing of individuals Molik thanks.
“I’ve liked working with Nicole and I feel her professionalism and drive is one thing that may be a actual standout in her qualities and her consideration to element has actually helped with our success as properly,” stated Molik, who added her appreciation for Rohan Fisher, additionally a coach to the Australian staff.
The most important thanks are maybe owed to Molik’s husband, Tim Sullivan, who has supplied essential behind-the-scenes assist for years.
“Tim has been extremely supportive all through my entire profession and particularly the calls for of travelling as properly,” she stated.
“I really feel actually lucky that I’ve an extremely supportive household and husband that simply inspired me to type of comply with my goals and objectives the entire time.”
Molik seems ahead to spending extra time together with her household – together with son Yannick and daughter Mieke – in her subsequent chapter, however notes that tennis itself will all the time play a distinguished function.
“I really like this sport,” she smiled. “I like it a lot that we as a household are at our native tennis membership 5 days per week.”
Molik’s early consultant profession helped gas that lifelong ardour for the sport.
A former world No.8 and Olympic bronze medallist, the Australian will perpetually be thankful for the assist of former team-mates together with Rennae Stubbs and Pratt in her early years on tour.
She additionally fondly remembers the essential classes she absorbed from leaders together with Lesley Bowrey, Evonne Goolagong Cawley and David Taylor (who was additionally Molik’s personal coach).
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The Australian chief is now keenly maintaining a tally of the. nation’s subsequent technology; she was delighted to see Kim Birrell make her top-100 breakthrough on the WTA Tour and notes the progress of younger gamers together with Olivia Gadecki and Taylah Preston.
“I feel the long run seems extremely vibrant. It’s nice to see the younger expertise coming by means of,” Molik enthused.
Ever the chief, Molik is very excited to captain Australia within the Billie Jean King Cup Finals for one final time.
“We punch above our weight after we play within the inexperienced and gold and we proved that final 12 months, reaching the ultimate,” she stated.
“And hey, we’re not completed but. We’ve acquired a very improbable staff that we’re about to unleash in Seville.”
Ebook on-line, play at present: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on court docket and have some enjoyable!
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