Mladenovic: Let’s win it again

With the Billie Jean King Cup by BNP Paribas Play-offs coming up this week - the first ties played under the competition's news name - Kristina Mladenovic, the star of France's triumphant 2019 side, is eyeing back-to-back titles at the 2021 Finals.

Much may have happened since, but mention France's 2019 Fed Cup final victory to Mladenovic and the pride felt at having champion status is as unmistakeable now as in the immediate aftermath of her match-winning heroics.

Nobody could have predicted at the time that France would be denied the opportunity to defend their crown at the revamped and inaugural Finals in April 2020, which the Covid-19 pandemic ultimately put paid to.

The event was postponed until 2021, while the 12 teams set for battle on the banks of the Danube will now compete for the Billie Jean King Cup - not to mention comparative prize money to their Davis Cup counterparts - following the tournament's rebranding.

Nearly 18 months have passed since scenes of French jubilation greeted a near-impossible return from Sam Stosur looping beyond the baseline, although that moment forms an indelible backdrop to the highlights reel of Mladenovic's career.

The 27-year-old was in scintillating form as France defeated Australia in Perth to seal their first competition triumph since 2003 when the likes of Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce were star turns.

Mladenovic was a constant pest to her Australian hosts as she overpowered world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, bulldozing her way to a second singles victory in the match having earlier dispatched Ajla Tomljanovic.

Then, at the decisive moment and with the title on the line, she teamed up with Caroline Garcia to dispatch Barty and Stosur in a winner-takes-all doubles showdown.

In the time since France's triumph, Mladenovic has enjoyed further glory, winning a Grand Slam doubles title at the Australian Open and Roland Garros in 2020, both alongside Hungary's Timea Babos. Nothing, however, can dim the memory of lifting silverware Down Under.

'There are no words to describe it [being a Billie Jean King Cup champion],' Mladenovic said. 'The last day with a win over the world No. 1 in an away tie in front of such a big crowd, and then that deciding point in the doubles, it was a dream come true.

'There was such a mix of different emotions: joy, relief and exhaustion. I gave it all that day. It was always a dream of mine to become a Billie Jean King Cup champion and then it became a goal in my career. To do it felt truly amazing.'

Mladenovic's jubilation, both then and now, is all a far cry from the anguish felt at the climax of the 2016 final in Strasbourg after she and Garcia succumbed in agonising fashion to Czech Republic duo Karolina Pliskova and Barbora Strycova in the crunch showdown.

There were times following that 2016 setback that Le Tricolore joy in the World Cup of women's tennis seemed tantalisingly out of reach, especially after Garcia turned her focus to her singles career.

France captain Julien Benneteau welcomed Garcia back into the side by recalling her for the clash with Belgium in February 2019 in Liege, insisting it was 'inconceivable not to pick her, as France's best player'.

'It was a tough experience in 2016,' said Mladenovic, who has played 16 times for France since her debut in 2012. 'I lost an epic marathon to Pliskova and then we lost in the deciding doubles. But I learnt a lot from it and had extra motivation in 2019.

'I did not want to lose two finals and there were tough times after 2016 when we didn't have the full team. But I sacrificed and dedicated so much and never gave up for my country.

'I am proud because without this effort we would not have even been close to winning the title. To have achieved the goal, it was an amazing reward for me.'

The euphoria following their 2019 victory was not restricted to the French camp or indeed confined to tennis circles as the winning quintet - Mladenovic, Garcia, Alize Cornet, Fiona Ferro and Pauline Parmentier - were hosted at the Elysee Palace by President Emmanuel Macron.

'I did not expect what was waiting for us when we got home,' added Mladenovic. 'Only then did I realise how big the win was for the country, French tennis, tennis fans and the younger generation who were watching. The reception with the French President was a once in a lifetime experience.'

While France have held the tag of champions longer than they ordinarily might have without having to fend off a challenge to their crown, that status is about to come under serious threat.

The original draw for the 2021 Finals remains in place, with the 12 nations divided into four groups and a knockout phase to follow, all of which will be played out behind closed doors at the Laszlo Papp Budapest Sports Arena.

France, the top seeds, have been drawn alongside hosts Hungary - meaning a potential showdown between Mladenovic and Babos - and four-time champions Russia in Group A.

For Mladenovic and Co., thoughts will inevitably turn to the prospect of back-to-back titles, something their nation came close to in 2004 before defeat to Russia in a compelling Moscow final. Mladenovic is in no hurry to be stripped of her champion billing.

'It is difficult to put into words, but it would mean a lot to be able to retain our title,' Mladenovic said. 'Our results over the last few years show that we have been consistent in this competition, but it is the World Cup of Tennis and there are a lot of strong teams.

'It will be a long journey, but I am a competitor and every time I step out on the court, I give everything to put myself and the team in a winning position.

'We do not have the same reservoir of players like the Czech Republic or USA. However, we have proven over the last five years or so that we can be consistent and compete with the best nations.

'I would love to experience being a champion again but, at the same time, to be able to say that I have done it is something big for me.'

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