After severing her successful doubles relationship with Mladenovic, Garcia pulled out of a subsequent Fed Cup tie despite having stated she did not want to play in the event that year. "It's inconceivable to me to not pick her, as the best French player... I wanted to select the best team possible," said coach Julien Benneteau, the successor to Yannick Noah as Fed Cup captain.
Garcia last played in the competition in 2016 when France lost the final 3-2 to the Czech Republic in Strasbourg after she and Mladenovic were beaten in the decisive doubles rubber. However, Benneteau was unable to guarantee that Garcia would definitely return for the quarter-final tie with Belgium in Liege on February 9 and 10.
"She knows she's selected and is assured the girls, the other players, are waiting for her return and that the staff will do everything to make her feel good," he said. The France team also includes Pauline Parmentier and Fiona Ferro.