Lindsay
Davenport will be the next American captain of the Billie Jean King Cup,
succeeding Kathy Rinaldi.
Davenport
is one of the legends of American women's tennis, being one of the five players
who have ended the year as world No. 1 at least four times, sharing that honor
with Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, and Serena Williams.
Representing
her country in the Billie Jean King Cup, Davenport had a record of 26-3 in
singles and 7-0 in doubles, helping the country win titles in 1996, 1999, and
2000, each with King as the captain.
As
Davenport mentioned, the title in 1999 was the most surprising one, defeating
Russia in the final with the recently crowned US Open champion at the age of
17, Serena Williams, and her sister Venus
"Can you
believe it? The media frenzy was really at an all-time high because of Serena;
she had just won her first major. It was pretty awesome to be there and be a
part of it," Davenport said
"I
remember vividly all the Fed Cup ties and the winning and the camaraderie and
some of the amazing teams I was able to be a part of," Davenport said.
"And now I'm excited to be able to experience it from a different lens and
try and be — well, I will never live up to, but try and be similar to — how
Billie was as captain and see what kind of job I can do."
The 3-time
Grand Slam champion will replace Kathy Rinaldi, who has been the captain since
2016 and led the team to the title in 2017. The USTA announced in June that she
would step down after this year's Billie Jean King Cup Finals are held in
Seville but would remain as the director of their women's player development
program.
"Hopefully
I can lead with a certain amount of motivation and also hopefully we'll be
well-prepared, we'll be ready to go," Davenport said. "I've had a
couple of different captains; Billie was obviously the most energetic and the
most inspiring. I'm not quite sure my personality is quite like hers, but
certainly I'll try to be as motivating as possible."
Davenport
also commented on Coco Gauff's great result at Flushing Meadows to win her
first Grand Slam title, confirming the best moment of her career:
"Coco's
result at the U.S. Open was just remarkable. It really felt so great for
American women's tennis to see that happen, to see that play out," she
said.
"There's
been a lot of pressure on her the last five or so years to be able to
accomplish that, and for that to happen at her home Slam is pretty
awesome."
Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist
Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.
His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.
In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.
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