Lindsay Davenport named new captain of USA's Billie Jean King Cup team
Three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport has been named as the new captain of USA's Billie Jean King Cup team, taking over from Kathy Rinaldi. Davenport will assume the role after this year's Finals, for which the team has already qualified.
Brian Hainline, Chairman of the Board and USTA President, lavished praise on Davenport during the announcement, calling her the "embodiment of a champion" throughout her career.
In addition to winning 55 singles titles and 38 doubles titles, the American is one of a handful of players to have been ranked World No. 1 in both singles and doubles on the WTA Tour.
The three-time Grand Slam champion is also an Olympic gold medalist (1996 Atlanta) and a three-time winner of the Billie Jean King Cup herself (then called the Fed Cup).
"Lindsay has been the embodiment of a champion throughout her career, and few players have had as much success playing for their country as she has,” Hainline said. “We’re excited to welcome her experience and leadership back to the Billie Jean King Cup team at a time when the present and future of American women’s tennis couldn’t be brighter.”
Lindsay Davenport was ecstatic about being named the new captain of Team USA as well, saying that she was proud to join the prestigious list of captains the country has had in the past at the tournament.
“Playing Billie Jean King Cup was always something that was a huge priority and a huge highlight for me during my career. I always felt a tremendous amount of pride representing my country, and I'm excited to do it now in a different role,” Lindsay Davenport said.
“Joining a prestigious list of US captains is an incredible honour, and with the group of players that we have now and their great personalities, I really couldn't ask for a better time to have this position,” she added.
This year's edition of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, taking place in Seville, Spain, will conclude on November 12. USA, which qualified after beating Austria 4-0 in the previous round, will most likely be led by the likes of US Open champion Coco Gauff and World No. 4 Jessica Pegula.
Lindsay Davenport: "I look forward to the US hopefully winning the Billie Jean King Cup this year so that when I’m captain, we’re defending champions"
Lindsay Davenport also joked that she hoped the USA team would win the Billie Jean King Cup this year, so that they can be the defending champions in her first stint as captain with the squad.
"I look forward to watching and supporting the US team in the Finals later this year. Kathy has been an amazing role model to not only the players now but also myself, and I look forward to continuing what she started the last seven years."
"She’s done a remarkable job and I look forward to the US hopefully winning it this year so that when I’m captain, we’re defending champions," Lindsay Davenport said.
The American contingent qualified for the Finals last year but could not reach the semifinals. In the group stage, they lost their tie against the Czech Republic and had to settle for second place.