As Lindsay Davenport gets set to take over as the U.S. captain for Billie Jean King Cup. She thinks back to what she called “the most amazing” of her three championships as a player in the team competition.
It was in 1999, back when the event was still known as the Fed Cup, and King was the Americans’ captain. Davenport helped beat Russia in the final with newly crowned U.S. Open champion Serena Williams, then just 17, and Venus Williams. Also read: Tallon Griekspoor Net Worth 2023, Prize Money, Cars, Properties, Career History, Charities, Biography & Overview
Following this year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals, Davenport, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, will take over as team manager, the U.S. Tennis Association said on Wednesday. Rinaldi will remain as assistant coach. A youngster named Coco Gauff, who just won the U.S. Open, may be on Davenport’s list.
California native Davenport, who won three Grand Slam singles championships and three doubles crowns, also peaked at No. 1 in the WTA singles and doubles rankings.
In addition, she won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics. In the Billie Jean King Cup, she won three times with King serving as captain. Going 26-3 in singles and 7-0 in doubles. Only Chris Evert led the Americans in singles victories in the competition that adopted King’s name in 2020. Also read: Nikoloz Basilashvili Net Worth 2023, Prize Money, Endorsement, Cars, Properties, Career Highlights, Charities, Social Work, Biography, etc.
“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 International Tennis Hall of Fame inducted Davenport in 2014 after he ended his career as a player in 2010. She has experience as a television analyst and coach, having worked with Madison Keys.
“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.”