Junior world No.1 Emerson Jones will enjoy the privilege of filling the void as Australia's Orange Girl for the upcoming Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers in Brisbane next month.
Last year, the 16-year-old became the first Australian girl to reach the summit of the junior rankings since Jelena Dokic in 1998, who also won the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Finals in China.
In the lead-up to the 2025 Australian Open, Jones secured the biggest win of her career after taking down then-world No.37 Xinyu Wang 6-4 6-0 at the Adelaide International.
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She will now take on the role of Orange Girl, a position allowing a player to train alongside the Australian squad and soak in the environment for a valuable experience.
"It’s such an honour to be named the Orange Girl for Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup team," said an ecstatic Jones.
"Getting the chance to be part of the team environment, learn from our top women and experience what comes with representing Australia at this level is really exciting."
In the second year of her tenure, team captain Samantha Stosur expressed her delight in welcoming Jones into the national setup.
"The Orange Girl tradition is something unique and special to Australian tennis. It is an incredible opportunity for a young player to immerse themselves in the team culture," Stosur said.
"Emerson had a phenomenal 2024, and we’re excited to have her join the team in Brisbane. She’ll get to experience first-hand what it takes to compete at the top international level and see the passion and pride that comes with representing Australia in the green and gold."
In November's Finals last year, Maya Joint was selected as Australia's Orange Girl.
Australia will face Kazakhstan and Colombia at Pat Rafter Arena in a group of three format, with the first-placed nation from each group progressing to November's Finals.
Kimberly Birrell has already been confirmed as the first member of the squad to partake in Australia's quest for qualification.
The tie is scheduled to take place on April 10 and 12.
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