In addition to winning three Grand Slam singles titles and three doubles wins, Davenport, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, also peaked at No. 1 in the WTA singles and doubles rankings.
After this year's competition, Kathy Rinaldi will be replaced by Lindsay Davenport as the US captain for the Billie Jean King Cup. Davenport will take over a team that includes recent US Open champion Coco Gauff.
In addition to winning three Grand Slam singles titles and three doubles wins, Davenport, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, also peaked at No. 1 in the WTA singles and doubles rankings. She was a member of three championship lineups for the United States of America in the team competition that was formerly known as the Fed Cup and renamed to honour King in 2020. She won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Davenport helped the US win the Billie Jean King Cup in 1996, 1999, and 2000 with King serving as captain. She went 26-3 in singles and 7-0 in doubles as a competitor for the US. Chris Evert was the only American to win more singles matches during the competition.
Davenport's selection to captain the American squad was scheduled to be announced by the US Tennis Association on Wednesday.
An amazing honour, Davenport remarked in a phone conversation with The Associated Press.
"I can clearly recall every Fed Cup match, as well as the triumphs, comradery, and some of the incredible teams I was blessed to play on. And now that I can see it through a different lens, I'm eager to attempt to live up to Billie's captaincy, which is something I will never be able to do, but at least to strive to emulate. In December 2016, Rinaldi was named the US team's captain. In 2017, he guided the team to victory. The USTA announced in June that she would retire following the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, which will be place in Seville, Spain, from November 7–12, but continue in her role as its women's tennis programme director.
The USTA will enlist California native Davenport to help in player development.
She won the singles title in the US Open in 1988, Wimbledon in 1999, and the Australian Open in 2000. She also finished second in four major competitions.
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.
