Lindsay Davenport will replace Kathy Rinaldi as the U.S. captain for the Billie Jean King Cup after this year’s competition ends, taking over a squad that has included recent U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff.
Davenport is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame who won three Grand Slam titles in singles, another three in doubles and reached No. 1 in the WTA singles and doubles rankings. She earned a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics and was a member of three championship rosters for the United States in the team competition that used to be called the Fed Cup and was renamed to honor King in 2020.
Davenport went 26-3 in singles and 7-0 in doubles as a player in the Billie Jean King Cup for the U.S., helping the country win titles in 1996, 1999 and 2000 — each with King as captain. Only Chris Evert won more singles matches for the United States in the event.
The U.S. Tennis Association planned to announce Davenport’s appointment to lead the American team on Wednesday.
“An incredible honor,” Davenport said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. “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. 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.”
Rinaldi became the U.S. captain in December 2016 and led the team to the title in 2017. The USTA said in June that she would step down after this year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals are held in Seville, Spain, from Nov. 7-12, but stay on as the head of its women’s program for player development.
Davenport, who is from California, will also take on a role in player development for the USTA.
She was the singles champion at the U.S. Open in 1988, Wimbledon in 1999 and Australian Open in 2000, and a major runner-up four times.
Davenport retired as a player in 2010 and was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014. She has worked as a coach, including with Madison Keys, and a television analyst.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
