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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently congratulated Team Canada for clinching their maiden Billie Jean King Cup on Sunday, 12th November.
The summit clash of the BJK Cup saw Canada lock horns with Italy at the Estadio de la Cartuja in Spain. Canada, captained by Heidi El Tabakh, became the 13th country to lay claim to the annual championship after their star players Leylah Fernandez and Marina Stakusic won their respective singles matches.
The opening round of the Seville event kicked off with debutant Marina Stakusic taking on World No. 43 Martina Trevisan. The Canadian concluded her meet with the former French Open semifinalist with a straight-set scoreline of 7-5, 6-3. With this, the 18-year-old's victory over Trevisan was her first-ever win against a Top 50 player.
Later, 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez sealed her nation's maiden triumph after downing Jasmine Paolini, 6-2, 6-3, at La Cartuja Stadium. Canada won the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time in the competition's 60-year history.
Following their historic feat, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to social media to offer a token of appreciation for the women that represented his country at the event. In a tweet, the 51-year-old congratulated the Canadian team for lifting their first-ever BJK Cup.
One for the history books. Congratulations, Team Canada, on winning our country’s first-ever @BillieJeanKingCup title! We’ll be replaying – and reliving – this moment for quite some time," wrote an elated Trudeau.
Leylah Fernandez on bagging the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup - "We're world champions, and we rightfully deserve it"
Leylah Fernandez reserved a few words to express her delight for her country's success after she wrapped up the concluding round of the Billie Jean King Cup on Sunday.
The 21-year-old spoke highly of her nation's triumph, backing their years of hard work which led to this historic moment.
"I can finally say this: We're world champions, and we rightfully deserve it," said Fernandez. "We worked hard the past years, and I think every year, as I said before, we just keep improving. It's showing on the tennis court. It's showing in competitions, individual competitions. Now it has shown on the biggest stage in the world.
She further highlighted how her Seville campaign had motivated her to achieve higher levels in her individual performance.
"Coming here, it has given me a chance to represent my country at the highest level and to share the courts with these amazing women who can inspire me, who has inspired me, and who has motivated me to do better, to reach for higher levels in my own game," she added.
