After making her Olympic dream become a reality this year, Ellen Perez is gearing up to don the green and gold again next month.
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The Shellharbour talent was this week selected in Australia's team for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. The Cup, which is one of the sport's major international women's team competitions, will take place in early November in Prague, with the Aussies drawn in group B with Belarus and Belgium.
Perez is looking to build on a strong performance in Tokyo, where the 25-year-old and her doubles partner Sam Stosur reached the Games' quarter-finals.
"To be able to compete at the Olympics was an incredible experience, something really surreal. I'll never forget that moment I got to put on that green and gold to play for Australia, it was one of the best feelings," Perez said.
"It means a lot for me to be selected for the Billie Jean King Cup. Any time you get to play for Australia, it's a huge honour. As a kid, I missed out on the opportunity to play for Australia, so it's something I've always strived for and really wanted to do."
Next month's Cup - originally scheduled for April 2020 but postponed due to COVID - features a round robin format, with group winners to progress to the finals. Each tie consists of two singles and one doubles match.
Perez is one of two debutants, alongside Olivia Gadecki, on Australia's team, which will be captained by former world no.8 Alicia Molik. They're joined by Ajla Tomljanovic, Astra Sharma and Storm Sanders.
Perez, who is currently 44th in the world in women's doubles, teamed up with Sharma to win a WTA title in Mexico in March, while she has also paired with Sanders for major competitions such as the US Open.
Perez looks forward to the Cup as well as developing her game under Molik's guidance.
"I'm super excited to be working alongside Alicia. I had the opportunity to work with her at the Olympics and it was an incredible experience. She brings a lot of knowledge and wisdom, and she's super calm out on the court," she said.
"I'm really looking forward to another opportunity to learn from her again and also be part of the Australian team with a great bunch of girls. They all have their unique things that they're good at, so to be able to learn and grow around them is something that I really look forward to.
"My goal is to be a great teammate in whatever capacity I can be, whether that's on the court playing, or on the sidelines cheering. I plan to do my very best and bring a lot of energy and positive vibes to the team."
Away from the court, Perez continues to build a strong social media following. She likes to give people a behind-the-scenes look at her life on tour through concepts such as #AskEllen.
"I've always enjoyed interacting on social media. I think it's a great way to express who you are, and engage with the fans. As players we have great insight and a platform to make a difference. I feel like it only makes sense to use it if I can help spread positivity or make someone's day," she said.
"I've been on the road for so long and things can get very mundane and boring. Knowing there's a wider community out there who support you and enjoy interacting with you really helps motivate me and gives me something else to do to take my mind off the grind. I enjoy it for the most part."
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Joshua Bartlett
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
A sporting fanatic who is keen to promote all codes in the Illawarra and abroad. Mercury's chief football reporter.
