The Australian women’s team will make their 11th Uber Cup appearance this month in Denmark, stepping once again onto badminton’s most prestigious team stage with a squad that reflects both continuity and change. Blending seasoned international performers with emerging talent, the Falcons’ team represents a deliberate balance between experience and youthful ambition.
Veterans Gronya Somerville, Tiffany Ho, and Angela Yu return as the backbone of the side, carrying with them years of exposure to elite level competition. Alongside them, however, are three junior players set to experience the event for the first time: Victoria Tjonadi, Jesslyn Carrisia, and Faye Huo will all be making their BWF World Women’s Team Championship debuts in Horsens.
For Huo, selection for the Uber Cup marks a personal milestone, and validation of years of steady progression through the junior and senior pathways.
“Being selected means a lot to me because I feel like I’ve worked really hard and it was always one of my goals to be able to represent Australia in the Uber Cup,” she said.
Still only at the beginning of her senior career, Huo arrives in the team with a growing resume. She is the reigning Oceania Junior Women’s Singles Champion and reached the semifinals of the VICTOR Oceania Championships earlier this year. International exposure at the YONEX SUNRISE World Junior Championships last year also helped shape her competitive foundation.
Yet, Huo is quick to point out that her most significant development has come closer to home; particularly through training and competing alongside senior players in team environments. Her recent experience at the Oceania Women’s Team Championships provided a first real taste of the expectations and standards required at the highest level.
“I’ve been learning a lot from the other players,” she explained. “Like Tiff [Ho], I train with her and she always motivates me in training and pushes me to do better, I feel like the senior and older players do that.”
The learning curve has been especially pronounced in doubles, where Huo has had the opportunity to partner with Somerville—one of Australia’s most experienced campaigners.
Huo and Somerville during the finals of the VICTOR Oceania Women’s Team Championships in February
“For me, in terms of mindset, especially when I played doubles with Gronya—I’m not a doubles player—so it was a good experience to play with a high level and experienced player like her. It’s pushed me to raise my own standards and become more consistent in my games.”
Looking ahead to Denmark, Huo sees the Uber Cup not only as a test, but as a classroom; a chance to observe, absorb, and measure herself against the world’s best.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity to gain experience against the best players in the world and understand what’s required to succeed at that level,” she said. “I think it will also help me build more confidence and composure in high pressure situations – which I think is important for my development at the moment.”
For Australia, that growth is precisely the point. As the team prepares for another Uber Cup campaign, the presence of emerging players learning alongside established leaders signals more than just short-term goals. It reflects a longer term-investment in depth, resilience, and belief on the world stage.
The Falcons’ have been drawn into Group C, alongside Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, and Canada.
The BWF Thomas & Uber Cup Finals will be held in Horsens, Denmark, from 24 April – 3 May 2026. More information can be found here.
