Fed Cup final preview: Australia vs. France

Australia has a 5-1 historical edge, though the two nations haven't faced off since 2000. Australia also has the home advantage, hosting the tie on hard courts in Perth.

Here's a look at who will be suiting up this weekend at the RAC Arena.

1

Ashleigh Barty

Age: 23

Ranking: No. 1 in singles/No. 19 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 10-1 in singles/7-1 in doubles

Season Overview: What hasn't the Australian done? A quarterfinal run in the Australian Open, winning Miami, the French Open, Birmingham and the WTA Finals. She leads the season with most WTA wins at 56.

Season Highlight: WTA Finals champion

2

Ajla Tomljanovic

Age: 26

Ranking: No. 51 in singles/No. 159 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 3-3 in singles/1-4 in doubles

Season Overview: A fairly temperate 2019 season, Tomljanovic reached the final in Hua Hin and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 39, although ended the season at No. 51. She still has not earned her first WTA title, but will suit up for Australia for the very first time.

Season Highlight: Hua Hin finalist

3

Samantha Stosur

Age: 35

Ranking: No. 96 in singles/No. 12 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 29-20 in singles/8-0 in doubles

Season Overview: Despite being more of a doubles player in recent years, Stosur's singles season took a turn for the better in the fall. She was a singles finalist in Guangzhou and won the Australian Open in doubles.

Season Highlight: Australian Open doubles champion

4

Astra Sharma

Age: 24

Ranking: No. 108 in singles/No. 136 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 0-0 in singles/0-0 in doubles

Season Overview: Sharma had a breakthrough year. The Aussie was a finalist in singles in Bogota, won the doubles title at the same tournament, and won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open. The Vanderbilt graduate reached a career-high ranking of No. 85, although she has since fallen out of the Top 100.

Season Highlight: Australian Open mixed doubles champion

5

Priscilla Hon

Age: 21

Ranking: No. 126 in singles/No. 641 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 0-0 in singles/1-0 in doubles

Season Overview: While Hon reached just one final this year (at an ITF W25K), 2019 was still a strong year for the 21-year-old. She played in the second round of the Australian Open and qualified for numerous WTA-level tournaments, allowing her to reach a career-high ranking of No. 118 in October.

Season Highlight: Seoul quarterfinalist

These two teams could not be more equally matched. France has the experience, as they get set to play their sixth final since 1997, while Australia is in its first title match since 1993. Australia's Ashleigh Barty just won the WTA Finals, solidifying her year-end No. 1 ranking, but France's Kristina Mladenovic is ranked No. 2 in doubles.

1

Kristina Mladenovic

Age: 26

Ranking: No. 40 in singles/No. 2 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 9-8 in singles/12-2 in doubles

Season Overview: It was more of a doubles standout year for Mladenovic, as the 26-year-old reached the Australian Open final and won the French Open, Istanbul and the WTA Finals, making her the No. 2 doubles player in the world just behind Barbara Strycova.

Season Highlight: French Open doubles champion

Australia has a 5-1 historical edge, though the two nations haven't faced off since 2000. Australia also has the home advantage, hosting the tie on hard courts in Perth.

2

Caroline Garcia

Age: 26

Ranking: No. 45 in singles/No. 247 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 11-5 in singles/6-1 in doubles

Season Overview: Garcia began the season with a third round appearance at the Australian Open and then only went up from there, reaching the final in Strasbourg and then winning the Nottingham title for her seventh career WTA title.

Season Highlight: Nottingham champion

Here's a look at who will be suiting up this weekend at the RAC Arena.

1

Ashleigh Barty

Age: 23

Ranking: No. 1 in singles/No. 19 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 10-1 in singles/7-1 in doubles

Season Overview: What hasn't the Australian done? A quarterfinal run in the Australian Open, winning Miami, the French Open, Birmingham and the WTA Finals. She leads the season with most WTA wins at 56.

Season Highlight: WTA Finals champion

3

Alize Cornet

Age: 29

Ranking: No. 60 in singles/No. 111 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 4-14 in singles/4-4 in doubles

Season Overview: It's been a middling season for Cornet. The 29-year-old has stuck around in the 50s on the rankings all season and only reached one final, in Lausanne. Perhaps 2020 will seen the Frenchwoman climb back into the Top 50.

Season Highlight: Lausanne finalist

2

Ajla Tomljanovic

Age: 26

Ranking: No. 51 in singles/No. 159 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 3-3 in singles/1-4 in doubles

Season Overview: A fairly temperate 2019 season, Tomljanovic reached the final in Hua Hin and achieved a career-high ranking of No. 39, although ended the season at No. 51. She still has not earned her first WTA title, but will suit up for Australia for the very first time.

Season Highlight: Hua Hin finalist

4

Fiona Ferro

Age: 22

Ranking: No. 63 in singles/No. 284 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 0-0 in singles/0-1 in doubles

Season Overview: Speaking of Lausanne, that is where Ferro picked up her first career WTA title. Winning the tournament also gave the young player a career-high ranking of No. 61 back in September. Perhaps big things are around the corner for Ferro in Perth.

Season Highlight: Lausanne champion

3

Samantha Stosur

Age: 35

Ranking: No. 96 in singles/No. 12 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 29-20 in singles/8-0 in doubles

Season Overview: Despite being more of a doubles player in recent years, Stosur's singles season took a turn for the better in the fall. She was a singles finalist in Guangzhou and won the Australian Open in doubles.

Season Highlight: Australian Open doubles champion

5

Pauline Parmentier

Age: 33

Ranking: No. 122 in singles/No. 832 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 6-12 in singles/1-1 in doubles

Season Overview: It's been a slow season for Parmentier, but there were a few bright spots, most notably a quarterfinal run in Tashkent and competing in the second round at Wimbledon.

Season Highlight: Tashkent quarterfinalist

4

Astra Sharma

Age: 24

Ranking: No. 108 in singles/No. 136 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 0-0 in singles/0-0 in doubles

Season Overview: Sharma had a breakthrough year. The Aussie was a finalist in singles in Bogota, won the doubles title at the same tournament, and won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open. The Vanderbilt graduate reached a career-high ranking of No. 85, although she has since fallen out of the Top 100.

Season Highlight: Australian Open mixed doubles champion

Action begins on Saturday.

5

Priscilla Hon

Age: 21

Ranking: No. 126 in singles/No. 641 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 0-0 in singles/1-0 in doubles

Season Overview: While Hon reached just one final this year (at an ITF W25K), 2019 was still a strong year for the 21-year-old. She played in the second round of the Australian Open and qualified for numerous WTA-level tournaments, allowing her to reach a career-high ranking of No. 118 in October.

Season Highlight: Seoul quarterfinalist

1

Kristina Mladenovic

Age: 26

Ranking: No. 40 in singles/No. 2 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 9-8 in singles/12-2 in doubles

Season Overview: It was more of a doubles standout year for Mladenovic, as the 26-year-old reached the Australian Open final and won the French Open, Istanbul and the WTA Finals, making her the No. 2 doubles player in the world just behind Barbara Strycova.

Season Highlight: French Open doubles champion

2

Caroline Garcia

Age: 26

Ranking: No. 45 in singles/No. 247 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 11-5 in singles/6-1 in doubles

Season Overview: Garcia began the season with a third round appearance at the Australian Open and then only went up from there, reaching the final in Strasbourg and then winning the Nottingham title for her seventh career WTA title.

Season Highlight: Nottingham champion

3

Alize Cornet

Age: 29

Ranking: No. 60 in singles/No. 111 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 4-14 in singles/4-4 in doubles

Season Overview: It's been a middling season for Cornet. The 29-year-old has stuck around in the 50s on the rankings all season and only reached one final, in Lausanne. Perhaps 2020 will seen the Frenchwoman climb back into the Top 50.

Season Highlight: Lausanne finalist

4

Fiona Ferro

Age: 22

Ranking: No. 63 in singles/No. 284 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 0-0 in singles/0-1 in doubles

Season Overview: Speaking of Lausanne, that is where Ferro picked up her first career WTA title. Winning the tournament also gave the young player a career-high ranking of No. 61 back in September. Perhaps big things are around the corner for Ferro in Perth.

Season Highlight: Lausanne champion

5

Pauline Parmentier

Age: 33

Ranking: No. 122 in singles/No. 832 in doubles

Fed Cup record: 6-12 in singles/1-1 in doubles

Season Overview: It's been a slow season for Parmentier, but there were a few bright spots, most notably a quarterfinal run in Tashkent and competing in the second round at Wimbledon.

Season Highlight: Tashkent quarterfinalist

Action begins on Saturday.