You possibly can hear it being whispered within the breakfast corridor of the Malaga resort the place travelling British followers had been tucking into their Spanish tortillas.
“We might go on and win this, you recognize,” one man cautiously confided to the desk the morning after Nice Britain reached the quarter-finals.
The nation has by no means received the Billie Jean King Cup.
However the feeling is rising that this 12 months’s occasion could possibly be nearly as good an opportunity as any.
Within the ladies’s staff match branded because the ‘World Cup of Tennis’, GB face defending champions Canada within the final eight – and expectation is constructing.
“I mentioned it earlier than the competitors began, I actually consider that we will win this,” mentioned British captain Anne Keothavong, whose staff is comprised of Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Heather Watson, Olivia Nicholls and Harriet Dart.
“I haven’t got an issue saying that out loud.”
Keothavong’s staff reached the semi-finals on residence turf in Glasgow in 2022, however there’s a completely different degree of confidence operating by means of the camp now.
In Boulter and Raducanu, Britain have pedigree which ranks among the many most substantial within the competitors – significantly of their half of the draw.
British primary Boulter, who has moved into the world’s prime 25 after a season the place she received two WTA titles, is the third-highest ranked singles participant left within the competitors. Former Grand Slam champion Raducanu additionally ranks third among the many quantity two gamers.
Neither will face a higher-ranked participant in opposition to Canada, nor would they in opposition to potential semi-final opponents Australia and Slovakia.
“We have got high quality gamers who’ve proven in their very own proper what they’re able to, whether or not it is this 12 months or in earlier years,” mentioned Keothavong.
“For me to have the ability to captain the staff of unbelievable ladies, for Katie to cleared the path she does, and to have Emma again within the staff enjoying nice tennis, I really feel like I am in a really lucky place.”
