Anne Keothavong is plotting to lead Great Britain to glory on home soil when the Fed Cup returns to UK soil for the first time in 26 years.
The tournament, one of the biggest in tennis takes place at the University of Bath from 6-9 February next year with eight nations bringing teams to compete, including Great Britain – who are currently in the Europe/Africa 1 division.
The tournament is often referred to as the World Cup of Tennis, with teams from almost 100 countries competing to earn a spot in the elite World Group for the chance to lift the Fed Cup trophy.
Top players from Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Turkey, Greece, Georgia and Slovenia are all set to take part in Bath.
And Keothavong, the GB captain, said: “I am thrilled that the Fed Cup is coming back to Britain as the tournament is a great way to not only showcase world-class tennis but also inspire more women and girls to give the sport a go.
“I hope the public will come out and support the GB Team as it will really spur our players on.”
Earlier this year the Lawn Tennis Association were awarded co-hosting rights and selected the university as the venue.
The venue is being transformed for the tournament, creating space for 2000 fans to watch the action across eight courts.
Teams are divided into two groups of four for the initial round-robin stage, then the winner of each group will advance to Saturday’s play-off, with a place in April’s World Group II play-off at stake.
Scott Lloyd, chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association, said: “The LTA is on a mission to open tennis up to more people and enable them to experience how much fun the sport can be.
“We hope people in the South West will take the opportunity to support Great Britain next February and experience the thrill of live tennis.” For Fed Cup tickets, click here. Sportsbeat 2018