American women shine on and off the court at Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers in Orlando
- Famous fans cheer on US team
- Taylor Townsend's son is a cute addition to the bench
- Emma Navarro's rap resurfaces
- Navarro leads stadium cheers
Tennis is an individual sport for the majority of the season, but the team element is something that the players love. The Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers were happening around the world this week, and they bring out the best tennis and camaraderie among the players.
Team USA, under new coach Lindsay Davenport, advanced with a 4-0 win over Belgium. The tennis was great, but what happened off the court was equally fun to watch.
It started with the US men crashing the party and cheering for the women in the stands. Mackie McDonald, Ben Shelton, and Christopher Eubanks watched the action on the court.
Taylor Townsend's son had a cute moment with Shelton and McDonald
Townsend's son, three-year-old Adyn Aubrey was happy sitting on his mom's lap and giving Shelton and McDonald fist bumps. Shelton also appears to be complementing Aubrey on his orange sunglasses.
It is ironic that all of the men's players (McDonald, Shelton, and Eubanks) cheering on the women were college tennis players. The Billie Jean King Cup qualifiers has a collegiate feel in that the team and fans are very involved in the matches, cheering loudly and celebrating jubilantly.
Emma Navarro is also a former college player who thrived in her first BJK Cup event. She loves the team environment. Her rookie rap from the welcome reception a few days ago lives on and was played as she entered the court for a match. After her 2 1/2 hour match on Friday, which she won in three sets, she joked that it took her a set and a half to recover from hearing her rap blaring out of the speakers.
She also enjoyed cheering from the stands leading a fan chant that had Madison Keys folded over in laughter. This team comprised of Caroline Dolehide, Madison Keys, Emma Navarro, Jessica Pegula, and Taylor Townsend is not only an accomplished group of tennis players, but they also have charisma off-the-court which makes them one of the most fun teams to watch in recent years.
Spain, Canada, Italy, and the Czech Republic will join the US, Great Britian, Poland, Australia, Japan, Romania, Germany, and Slovakia in the Billie Jean King Finals in Seville, Spain from November 12-17.